Alex Spanos

Alexander Gus Spanos (born September 28, 1923 in Stockton, California) is an American real estate developer and self-made billionaire of Greek origin who founded the A. G. Spanos Companies and owns the San Diego Chargers.

Early life
Spanos earned varsity letters in running and diving at the University of the Pacific in Stockton and later distinguished himself as an amateur golfer. He trained as a pilot during WWII and in the early days flew his own corporate aircraft. Spanos was the first person ever to be on the winning teams in both the Bob Hope Desert Classic in Palm Desert (1977) and the Bob Hope British Pro-Am (1980).

Spanos was one of the largest contributors to George W. Bush's reelection campaign in 2004. By contributing $5 million to 527 groups that supported the Bush campaign in 2004, Spanos ranked among the top five GOP donors. President Bush appointed Spanos to the Kennedy Center board in 2004. Spanos was inducted into the California Building Industry Hall of Fame in 2005. Spanos also received the AHEPA Award, an award that recognizes members of the community for their contributions and achievements in their chosen field of endeavor.

Spanos donated $500,000 to renovate the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Stockton, and with the approval of the City of Stockton, renamed the facility the Fox California Bob Hope Theatre.

According to a 2004 article in Forbes, Spanos was worth $1.1 billion. He has written a book called Sharing the Wealth: My Story which details his rise from a moneyless man of 27 years to become a billionaire. He started and owns A.G. Spanos Companies, one of the largest construction services companies in the United States. The corporation is based in Stockton and has 10 subsidiaries.

The Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton and the Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo are named after him.

San Diego Chargers
In 1984, Spanos bought 60% of the San Diego Chargers from majority owner Eugene Klein. Over the next 10 years, he bought out the shares of several small co-owners, bringing his control of the team to 97%. However, he remains partnered with retired San Diego restaurateur George Pernicano, an investor in the team since a few years after its inception. Since 1994, Spanos' son Dean has handled many of the daily operations of the franchise. According to Forbes, in 2007 the San Diego Chargers were worth $826 million.

Personal life
Spanos married the former Faye Pakafalis on August 22, 1948. they are the parents of four adult children; Sons Dean, who serves as the Chargers' Team President, and Micheal, and daughters Alexis and Dea Berberian. The Spanoses reside in Stockton. Spanos also owns a property in Las Vegas, NV.

Spanos had a seven-way heart bypass in 2000, and has had surgery and underwent chemotherapy for colon cancer. After his heart bypass at Sacramento Mercy General Hospital, Spanos donated $10 million to the hospital sponsoring the construction of its new state-of-the-art heart center.

Resources

 * A Biography on Hellenic News of America
 * Local News Interview from KOVR 13, Sacramento
 * Overview of Sharing the Weath
 * Texans for Public Justice