Arte Moreno

Arte Moreno is a well known Hispanic businessman, mainly because he is the first Hispanic to own a major sports franchise in America. Of course there have been a number of other business successes besides this one that have allowed Moreno to reach the position that would allow him to own the Los Angeles Angels.

Arte Moreno was born and raised in Tucson Arizona; he was the oldest of eleven children born to parents who had immigrated from Mexico. Following his graduation from high school Moreno was drafted into the army. He served for three years including a tour in Vietnam. Following his discharge he enrolled at the University of Arizona. He would eventually graduate with a degree in marketing. Following his graduation Moreno would get a job selling outdoor advertising. Something that he proved to be very good at. However the company that he worked for kept moving him around so he decided to find another job that would allow him to stay in Arizona.

The job that he found was selling billboard advertising for a small company called Outdoor Systems. He proved to be an outstanding salesman and was soon running the whole company having been promoted to president and chief executive officer. During his time in charge Outdoor Systems went from profits of less than half a million dollars a year to nearly a hundred million a year. This all happened in a period of ten years. Eventually the decision was made to take the company public which proved to be a great success. The company's stock value soared and they were eventually bought out for eight billion dollars.

Arte Moreno's best known business venture is his ownership of the Los Angeles Angels baseball time. Initially he started out as the part owner of a minor league team; this proved to be a very profitable venture and only whetted his appetite for more. Eventually he tried to buy the Arizona Diamondbacks but a deal couldn't be reached. However a few years later the Anaheim Angels came up for sale and Moreno was able to make a deal to buy them. During his time as owner the team officially changed its name to the Los Angeles Angels, upsetting fans in Anaheim. Nevertheless his period as owner has been very successful both on and off the field. The team has won several American League championships and has brought in a number of corporate sponsors. They have also ranged one of the most lucrative television deals in baseball.

In addition to his business success Arte Moreno is well known for his philanthropy as runs a foundation that provides educational opportunities to youth. He is also a firm supporter of University of Arizona athletics. Beyond this little about him is known, he keeps his private life private and refuses to discuss it. This of course has led to a lot of rumours.