Who is Mike Repole: UFL Co-Owner and Billionaire Entrepreneur

Mike Repole made headlines when he joined the United Football League as a co-owner alongside FOX, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dany Garcia and Redbird Capital Partners. The Queens native brings serious business credentials to spring football after building two beverage companies that sold to Coca-Cola for a combined $9.7 billion. Lets break down who is Mike Repole, from his beginnings growing up in Queens New York to becoming a billionaire.

From Queens to Billions

Born January 21, 1969, in Middle Village, Queens, Repole grew up in a working-class family. His father worked as a waiter and his mother as a seamstress. He became the first in his family to attend college, studying sports administration at St. John’s University with a 2.2 GPA.

Per Front Office Sports;

He was credited for helping revive St. John’s men’s basketball by injecting his alma mater with millions to spend on players; the Red Storm won their first Big East title since 1992 in March.

Repole started his career at Mistic Beverages before becoming Sales Vice President at Crystal Geyser Water Company. He left corporate life in 1999 to co-found Energy Brands, known as Glaceau, with J. Darius Bikoff.

Building Beverage Empires

Glaceau Success Story

Glaceau created the enhanced water category with Vitaminwater and Smartwater. The company hit $1 million in revenue during its first year and reached $1 billion in sales by 2007. Coca-Cola acquired Glaceau for $4.1 billion in cash in May 2007.

“Coca-Cola recognized Glaceau as a strong platform to grow its active lifestyle beverages,” according to the acquisition announcement.

BodyArmor Dominance

In 2011, Repole co-founded BodyArmor SuperDrink with Lance Collins to challenge Gatorade and Powerade. His strategy focused on athletes as equity partners rather than endorsers.

Kobe Bryant invested $5 million for a 10% stake in 2014 and became creative director. Bryant’s estate earned approximately $400 million when Coca-Cola fully acquired BodyArmor for $5.6 billion in November 2021.

BodyArmor became the third most purchased sports drink by 2018 with $400 million in revenue. The acquisition marked Coca-Cola’s largest purchase in company history.

UFL Investment

Repole made a major investment in the United Football League through his private equity firm, Impact Capital. Reports say he is not the majority owner.

His co-owners include Fox Sports, ESPN, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund and Redbird Capital Partners per Front Office Sports. Repole stated that Fox, Redbird Capital, and he are the “biggest investors” in the league.

Sports Portfolio Beyond Football

Horse Racing Success

Repole established Repole Stable after selling Glaceau. The stable has achieved over 100 career wins and consistently ranks among top owners.

Notable horses include:

• Uncle Mo (2010 American Champion Two-Year-Old)
• Vino Rosso (2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner)
• Mo Donegal (2022 Belmont Stakes winner)
• Fierceness (2023 champion 2-year-old male, 2024 Travers Stakes winner)

Other Investments

Repole served as chairman of Pirate’s Booty from 2009 until its sale to B&G Foods for $195 million in 2013. The company grew 300% during his tenure.

In July 2023, he acquired a majority stake in NoBull athletic footwear and apparel. Tom Brady’s athletic brands merged with NoBull in January 2024, making Brady the second-largest shareholder.

Business Philosophy

Repole attributes his success to extreme work ethic:

“I worked 18 hours a day seven days a week for 30 years. It really comes down to sacrifice, work ethic, and putting in the time.”

He advocates “learning over earning” for entrepreneurs and tells them to “fail forward and learn from your mistakes.” When hiring, Repole prioritizes “attitude over skills” and seeks “sore losers” who learn from setbacks.

Philanthropy Focus

The Nonna’s Garden Foundation, established in 2006, honors Repole’s grandmother who battled T-cell lymphoma. The foundation donated over $7 million to cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering and other causes.

In November 2021, the foundation made a $50 million gift to MSK. The MSK Commack building was renamed the MSK Commack Nonna’s Garden Foundation Center in recognition.

UFL Impact

Repole brings proven brand-building experience to the UFL. His track record includes creating billion-dollar beverage brands and successfully partnering with athletes like Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady.

The UFL benefits from his operational expertise and long-term vision. Repole describes the league investment as a “marathon, not a sprint” with focus on reinvesting in players, coaches, and marketing.

His partnership with Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Redbird Capital creates a powerful ownership group combining entertainment influence, business expertise, and institutional capital for the league’s growth.

Key Stats and Numbers

• Total beverage exits: $9.7 billion (Glaceau $4.1B + BodyArmor $5.6B)
• Glaceau timeline: 1999 founding to 2007 sale (8 years)
• BodyArmor timeline: 2011 founding to 2021 sale (10 years)
• Pirate’s Booty growth: 300% increase in 5 years
• Philanthropy: $50+ million donated through Nonna’s Garden Foundation
• Horse racing: 100+ career wins through Repole Stable

Mike Repole’s entry into the UFL represents his latest venture in building brands and challenging established markets. His proven formula of hard work, strategic partnerships, and long-term thinking positions the league for potential growth in spring football. Is he the guy to take the UFL to the next level? Stay tuned to UFL News Hub to find out.