Kwanza Jones became MLB’s first Black woman majority owner.
She and José E. Feliciano acquired the San Diego Padres in a record $3.9 billion deal.
Jones is a former recording artist who won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater.
Several of her songs appeared on Billboard’s dance charts.
Jones says her ultimate goal is to bring San Diego its first World Series championship.
Kwanza Jones has officially broken one of professional baseball’s most significant barriers, becoming the first Black woman to hold a majority ownership position in Major League Baseball.
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Jones and her husband and business partner, José E. Feliciano, lead the investment group that acquired a controlling interest in the San Diego Padres. The historic transaction valued the franchise at a reported $3.9 billion—the highest valuation for a team sale in MLB history. Feliciano will serve as the Padres’ designated control person under league rules.
While Jones is entering a new chapter as a sports owner, she is no stranger to performing on a major stage. Before establishing herself as an investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, she built a career as an independent singer and songwriter.
Jones began pursuing music while attending Princeton University and won Amateur Night at New York’s legendary Apollo Theater. She later released several independent projects and placed multiple songs on Billboard’s dance charts, including “Turn It Up,” “Think Again” and “Supercharged.”
She brought that musical background with her to Petco Park for the new owners’ introductory press conference. Jones entered to an original song she wrote and recorded for the occasion before delivering an energetic message about the team’s future.
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“We’re going to win it all,” she told the crowd, expressing her desire to help bring San Diego its first World Series championship.
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Beyond entertainment, Jones is the founder and CEO of SUPERCHARGED, a motivational media company. She and Feliciano also lead a philanthropic and impact-investment organization that has supported education, entrepreneurship and historically underserved communities. Their contributions include a $20 million gift to Princeton University and a $1 million donation to Bennett College, an HBCU with deep ties to Jones’ family.
Her arrival in Major League Baseball represents more than a high-profile business transaction. In a sport that has historically lacked Black representation within its ownership ranks, Jones is opening a door that no Black woman had previously walked through at the MLB level.
From performing at the Apollo Theater and recording Billboard-charting music to helping lead a multibillion-dollar baseball franchise, Jones’ career has crossed entertainment, business, philanthropy and now professional sports.
She enters the Padres organization with a clear message: she is ready to win—and prepared to make history while doing it.
