Oak View Group co-founder Tim Leiweke will invest $117.72 million (€100 million) in newly promoted Serie A club Venezia, the club said in a news release announcing his minority stake. The report says Leiweke joined the investor group at the behest of Canadian rapper Drake and will be part of Drake’s investment team in the club.
The report says Leiweke was criminally indicted in 2025 by the U.S. Justice Department over alleged stadium bid rigging and was pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump that same year. The indictment, the report says, stemmed from an alleged bid-rigging scheme tied to the 2017 Moody Center build at the University of Texas in Austin, brought by a federal grand jury last July.
Venezia said in its release that Leiweke was named co-chairman of the club’s operating committee and that his daughter, Francesca Bodie, was appointed club president. The club said the introductions came through Drake, with whom Leiweke and Bodie previously worked during their time at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the report says.
The report outlines Leiweke’s prior roles in sports and venue management, saying he held senior positions with Anschutz Entertainment Group, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and Oak View Group. As Oak View Group CEO, the report says, he oversaw venues including Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and New York’s UBS Arena. The report also notes Leiweke was president of the Denver Nuggets from 1991 to 1995 and co-founded Oak View Group in 2015.
Drake became an investor in Venezia in 2024 alongside a group that included sports-focused firm APEX Capital, the report says. In the club’s release, both Drake and Leiweke were quoted expressing confidence in building success and delivering a world-class home for Venezia and its fans as the club seeks to remain in Serie A.
