49ers CEO Jed York is moving up in the 49ers’ ownership structure. Sports Business Journal’s Ben Fischer on Monday reported York would take on the Principal Owner title after buying equity from his mother Denise DeBartolo York. The move will require approval from the league at the NFL owners meetings taking place this week.
York became the 49ers’ team president in 2008, and had his title elevated to CEO in 2012 when a new team president was hired.
He’s been largely responsible for the 49ers since that point with his parents, John and Denise, giving him control of the franchise. Now he’ll hold the title that goes along with his day-to-day operations as the team’s owner.
It’s unlikely there’ll be any major changes for fans since the elder Yorks had already been operating in the background with their son moving as the front-facing representative for the team.
York had a rocky start as the president and CEO with the team struggling in the first few years of his tenure, and then his very public spat with head coach Jim Harbaugh that led to a mutual parting of ways between the coach and the team despite unprecedented success. Since 2017 though York has faded into the background with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch running things and acting as the public faces of the team.
