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What Do Soccer Moms, the Detroit Pistons, and Superstar Inve

Published: Apr 14, 2011

 Finance       

Tom Gores.

That is, the Platinum Equity founder and CEO and soon-to-be new Detroit Pistons owner (who, according to the Times, "looks more like an aged rock star than a button-downed Wall Street deal maker") is apparently a pretty good youth soccer and basketball coach whose players have included the daughter of Moelis & Company founder Kenny Moelis. In fact, Ken "helped coach the basketball squad that his and Mr. Gores’s teenage daughters joined," and "throughout the season, Mr. Gores [pictured at left with the Purple Passion, his younger daughter's soccer team] would send Mr. Moelis e-mails with lengthy critiques of the team’s progress" such as this one "after the team lost by a point in the championship game":

“We will strive to be better next year. What else is there? Tough for you and I to swallow but the journey was good and in the big picture everybody won. Don’t worry I am still in pain. Tomorrow is a new day."

(DealBook: The Detroit Pistons’ New Private Equity Driver)

(Related: Beverly Hills Billionaire Buys NBA's Detroit Pistons)

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