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((Short description|American billionaire real estate developer and founder of the A.G. Spanos Companies))
((More citations needed|date=July 2020))
((Infobox person
| name        = Alex Spanos 
| image       = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| birth_name  = Alexander Gus Spanos
| birth_date  = ((Birth date|1923|09|28))
| birth_place = [[Stockton, California]], U.S.
| death_date  = ((Death date and age|2018|10|09|1923|09|28))
| death_place = Stockton, California, U.S.
| occupation  = Majority shareholder, [[San Diego Chargers|San Diego]] / [[Los Angeles Chargers]]<br /> Founder, [[A. G. Spanos Companies]]
| alma_mater  = [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]] 
| spouse      = ((marriage|Faye Papafaklis|1948|2018|end=her death)) 
| children    = 4, including [[Dean Spanos]]
))

'''Alexander Gus Spanos''' (September 28, 1923 – October 9, 2018) was an American [[billionaire]] real estate developer, founder of the [[A. G. Spanos Companies]], and the majority owner of the [[San Diego Chargers|San Diego]] / [[Los Angeles Chargers]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL).

==Early life and education==
Spanos was born in [[Stockton, California]] to [[Greek Americans|Greek]] immigrants<ref name=LATimesImpoverished>((cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1985-03-11/sports/sp-34046_1_alex-spanos|title=ALEX SPANOS : How the son of an impoverished Greek immigrant borrowed $800 and turned it into a business and sports empire worth $160 million|work=Los Angeles Times|first=Chris|last=Cobbs|date=March 11, 1985))</ref> Constantino and Evanthia Spanos.<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing>[http://www.utsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20020512-9999_1n12spanos.html San Diego Union Tribune: "Alex Spanos 'I Hate Losing'" by Roger M. Showley] May 12, 2002</ref> His father owned a [[bakery]]<ref name=LATimesImpoverished /> where the young Spanos started working at the age of eight.<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> According to his autobiography, Spanos was "born into conflict", since his parents were constantly fighting. Spanos' mother even left the family home for two years and attempted to take two children with her, but his parents reunited when he was a teenager and remained married until his death. Spanos, who played a large part in mediating the conflict between his parents, stated that his turbulent home life was the reason he strove to provide a stable environment for his own children.<ref name="Sharing the Wealth: My Story">((Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pM6ZPeBOIWIC&q=alex+spanos|title=Sharing the Wealth: My Story|last1=Spanos|first1=Alex|last2=Seal|first2=Mark|last3=Kasparian|first3=Natalia|date=2013-02-05|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781621571032|language=en))</ref> In 1942, he dropped out of college at the [[California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo|California Polytechnic School]] and joined the [[Army Air Force]] training as a pilot but left the program and instead served as a tail gunner during World War II.<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> Spanos earned varsity letters in swimming and diving at the [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]] in Stockton and later distinguished himself as an amateur golfer.<ref>((Cite news |first=Tom |last=Krasovic |date=2018-10-09|title=Alex Spanos, longtime Chargers owner, dies at 95|url=https://www.latimes.com/sd-sp-chargers-alex-spanos-owner-dies-20181009-story.html?_amp=true|access-date=2021-12-10|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US))</ref>

==Career==
In 1951,<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> he borrowed $800 ($9,375 in 2024) from a local banker to buy a truck which he then used to sell sandwiches to migrant farm workers in the [[San Joaquin Valley]].<ref name=LATimesImpoverished /> He invested his earnings in real estate and at the suggestion of his tax accountants, started to build apartments.<ref name=LATimesImpoverished /> In 1960, he founded [[A. G. Spanos Companies]],<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> which by 1977 had become the largest apartment builder in the United States.<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /><ref>((cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/21/2003/LIR.jhtml?passListId=21&passYear=2003&passListType=Company&uniqueId=WGSD&datatype=Company |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031226223419/http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/21/2003/LIR.jhtml?passListId=21&passYear=2003&passListType=Company&uniqueId=WGSD&datatype=Company |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 26, 2003 |title=Forbes Largest Private Companies 2003 |work=Forbes.com |access-date=2010-09-27))</ref> The corporation is based in Stockton and has 10 subsidiaries.

In 1984, Spanos bought 60% of the [[San Diego Chargers]] (now [[Los Angeles Chargers]]) from majority owner [[Eugene V. Klein|Eugene Klein]] for $48.3 million.<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> Over the next 10 years, he bought out the shares of several small co-owners, bringing his control of the team to 97%. The remaining 3% was held by San Diego restaurateur [[George Pernicano]], an investor in the team since a few years after its inception, until Pernicano's death in October 2016;<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Former-Chargers-Owner-Dies-at-Age-99-396208831.html|title=Minority Chargers' Owner Dies at Age 98|website=nbcsandiego.com|date=6 October 2016 |access-date=18 March 2018))</ref> and Bill Fox, a local community leader, until his death in 2020.<ref>[https://www.chargers.com/news/remembering-bill-fox Remembering Bill Fox]</ref> ((anchor|Dean Spanos)) Since 1993, Spanos' son [[Dean Spanos|Dean]] has handled the daily operations of the franchise.<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> According to ''[[Forbes]]'', as of August 2022, the Los Angeles Chargers are worth $3.875 billion.<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/teams/san-diego-chargers/ |title=San Diego Chargers on the Forbes NFL Teams Valuation List |work=Forbes.com |access-date=2015-03-19))</ref>

==Philanthropy and political contributions==
[[File:SpanosStadium.jpg|thumb|Alex G. Spanos Stadium at [[Lincoln High School (Stockton, California)|Lincoln High School]]]]
Spanos donated $500,000 to renovate the Fox Theatre in downtown Stockton, and with the approval of the City of Stockton, renamed the facility the Fox California Bob Hope Theatre.((citation needed|date=September 2017)) The [[Alex G. Spanos Center]] at [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]] in Stockton, the Alex G. Spanos Stadium for [[Lincoln High School (Stockton, California)|Lincoln High School]] in Stockton, the Alex G. Spanos Sports and Recreation Complex in [[California State University, Sacramento|Sacramento]], the Alex G. Spanos Training Center at [[University of California, San Diego|UCSD]] are named after him. From 2006 to 2022, the [[Alex G. Spanos Stadium|Mustang Memorial Field]] at [[California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo|Cal Poly]] also bore his name, after he donated $8 million to renovate the stadium.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.gopoly.com/insideathletics/hof/Spanos_Alex|title=Cal Poly|website=Cal Poly|access-date=5 September 2018))</ref>

Spanos was one of the largest contributors to [[George W. Bush]]'s re-election campaign in 2004.<ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.recordnet.com/article/20051012/news01/510120309|title=Spanos spending millions on ballot|first=Hank|last=Shaw|website=recordnet.com))</ref>((better source needed|date=August 2019)) 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 [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|Kennedy Center]] board in 2004. Spanos was inducted into the California Building Industry Hall of Fame in 2005. Spanos also received the [[American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association|AHEPA]] Award, an award that recognizes members of the community for their contributions and achievements in their chosen field of endeavor.((citation needed|date=September 2017))

==Personal life==
In 1948, Spanos married Faye Papafaklis.<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> They had four children: [[Dean Spanos]], the Chargers' team president; Michael Spanos, the Chargers' executive vice president; Alexis Spanos Ruhl, a vice president of A. G. Spanos Companies; and Dea Spanos Berberian, a vice president of A. G. Spanos Companies.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/news-ticker/2012/mar/06/spanos-clan-to-host-romney-fundraiser-at-stockton-/|title=Spanos Clan to Host Romney Fundraiser at Stockton Estate|work=San Diego Reader|first=Matt|last=Potter|date=March 6, 2012))</ref> In his autobiography, Spanos credited his wife with much of his success and stated that the couple did not recall "one real argument."<ref name="Sharing the Wealth: My Story"/> Faye Spanos died on August 7, 2018, aged 92.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24322793/faye-spanos-wife-chargers-owner-alex-spanos-dies-92|title=Faye Spanos, wife of Chargers owner Alex Spanos, dies at 92|date=8 August 2018|website=espn.com|access-date=9 August 2018))</ref>

Spanos resided in [[Stockton, California]].<ref name=ForbesBillionaires>((cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/alexander-spanos/|title=Alexander Spanos & family|access-date=29 April 2018|work=Forbes))</ref> He also owned property in [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. Spanos had a seven-way heart bypass in 2000,<ref name=UnionTribHateLosing /> and had surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer. After his heart bypass at Sacramento Mercy General Hospital, Spanos donated $10 million to the hospital to sponsor the construction of a new state-of-the-art heart center.((citation needed|date=September 2017))

Spanos wrote a book called ''Sharing the Wealth: My Story'' which detailed his rise from a moneyless man of 27 years to become a billionaire. Spanos was the first person 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).((citation needed|date=September 2013))

Spanos died October 9, 2018, age 95,<ref>((cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/chargers/la-sp-alex-spanos-obit-20181009-story.html|title=Chargers owner Alex Spanos dies at 95|author=Sam Farmer|date=October 9, 2018|newspaper=LA Times|access-date=October 9, 2018))</ref> of complications from [[dementia]] that had been diagnosed ten years prior.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_26199148/pat-bowlen-resigns-control-denver-broncos-acknowledges-dealing-alzheimers-disease|title=Pat Bowlen resigns control of Denver Broncos, acknowledges he is dealing with Alzheimer's disease|work=Denver Post|access-date=July 23, 2014))</ref> According to friends, he had been brokenhearted by the death of his wife two months earlier.((citation needed|date=October 2019))

==See also==
*[[List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards]]

==References==
((Reflist))

((Los Angeles Chargers owner navbox))
((Los Angeles Chargers))

((Authority control))

((DEFAULTSORT:Spanos, Alex))
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:American billionaires]]
[[Category:American company founders]]
[[Category:American construction businesspeople]]
[[Category:American real estate businesspeople]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Pacific Tigers football]]
[[Category:Real estate and property developers]]
[[Category:San Diego Chargers owners]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Chargers owners]]
[[Category:University of the Pacific (United States) alumni]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Stockton, California]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from California]]
[[Category:California Polytechnic State University alumni]]
[[Category:American people of Greek descent]]
[[Category:Deaths from dementia in California]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]

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