Business & brands / Sports
Tom Gores
born 1964 · private equity investor, owner of the Detroit Pistons
Nazareth-born, Flint-raised billionaire who bought the Pistons in 2011 and moved them back into Detroit in 2017.
- Born
Nazareth, Israel
age 62- Birth name
- Tewfiq Georgious
- Detroit years
- 2011–present
- Field
- Business & brands, Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Gores was born in Nazareth and moved with his family to Genesee, near Flint, when he was about five; he grew up there and studied at Michigan State. In 1995 he founded the private equity firm Platinum Equity in California, which grew into a buyer of large corporate divisions around the world. In 2011 he bought the Detroit Pistons and the Palace of Auburn Hills. In 2017 he moved the team from the suburbs to the new Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, the first time the Pistons had played in the city since 1978, and in 2019 opened the team's headquarters and training center in the New Center area. He has also backed community projects in Flint, including aid during the city's water crisis.
Highlights
- Founded Platinum Equity in 1995
- Owner of the Detroit Pistons since 2011
- Moved the Pistons to Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, 2017
- Built the Pistons' New Center headquarters and training center (2019)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Related place · 2017–present
Little Caesars Arena
The Pistons have played here since he moved them downtown in 2017.
Related place · 2011–2017
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Demolished · 1988–2017
He bought the arena with the team in 2011; it was demolished in 2020.