Daniel Marc Snyder (born November 23, 1964) is an American businessman and former owner of the Washington Commanders, an American football franchise belonging to the National Football League (NFL). He founded the marketing company Snyder Communications in 1989, amassing a wealth that led him to buy the Commanders, then known as the Redskins, from Jack Kent Cooke's estate in 1999 for $800million. Snyder is widely considered among the worst owners in the history of professional sports, with the team marred by several controversies, and managing six playoff appearances, four division titles, and two playoff victories during his 24 years of ownership. Among the controversies under his leadership was his long-time refusal to change the controversial Redskins name, allegations of sexual harassment within the organization, a toxic workplace culture, and other financial issues.
In the early 2020s, Snyder was investigated by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for allegations of sexual harassment and enabling a toxic workplace culture with the Commanders, and by state and federal agencies for illegally withholding security deposits from season ticket holders and offering hush money to accusors. Amid financial issues and increasing pressure from the NFL, Snyder sold the Commanders in 2023 to a group headed by Josh Harris for $6.05billion, the largest sports team sale at the time. Snyder has lived in London since 2022.
Early life Snyder was born on November 23, 1964, in Silver Spring, Maryland.Washington Jewish Week: "Five local Jews make Forbes richest list" October 7, 2009 The son of Arlette () and Gerald Snyder, he was raised in a Jewish household with his brother Zack Snyder.Forbes Israel: Jewish Billionaires – Profile of Dan Snyder April 14, 2013 (in Hebrew)Jewish Virtual Library: "Daniel Snyder" retrieved October 24, 2013 Gerald was a freelance writer who wrote for United Press International and National Geographic. At age 12, Snyder moved to Henley-on-Thames, a small town near London, where he attended private school. Snyder returned to the United States two years later and lived with his grandmother in Queens, New York. At age 15, his family moved to Rockville, Maryland, where Snyder graduated from Charles W. Woodward High School.
Snyder's first job was at a B. Dalton bookstore in White Flint Mall. By age 20, he had dropped out of the University of Maryland, College Park and was running his own business, leasing jets to fly college students to spring break in Fort Lauderdale and the Caribbean. Snyder claimed to have earned US$1 million running the business with a friend out of his parents' apartment.
Snyder courted real estate entrepreneur Mortimer Zuckerman, whose U.S. News & World Report was also interested in the college market and who agreed to finance his push to publish Campus USA, a magazine for college students. Zuckerman and Fred Drasner, co-publisher of Zuckerman's New York Daily News, invested $3 million in Campus USA. The venture closed after two years.
Career With an investment from his father, Snyder and his sister Michele founded the marketing company Snyder Communications in 1988. They concentrated on wallboards in doctors' offices and colleges. They combined the advertisements with the distribution of product samples, such as soaps and packages of medicine, to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Snyder continued to expand its activities to different aspects of outsourced marketing. In 1992, the company expanded into telemarketing with a focus on the immigrant market. Revenues rose from $2.7 million in 1991 to $9 million in 1993.
Snyder became the youngest CEO of a New York Stock Exchange listed company at the age of 32 when it underwent an initial public offering in September 1996. His top investors, including media mogul Barry Diller and Robert Strauss, earned significant returns on their initial investment. Mortimer Zuckerman and Fred Drasner, whom Snyder owed $3 million from the failure of his first business venture, were given company stock, which ended up being worth over $500 million. His parents sold their stock in the company for over $60 million.
Snyder continued to expand the company through a string of acquisitions, such as Arnold Worldwide in 1997. By 1998, the company had over 12,000 employees and $1billion in annual revenues. In April 2000, Snyder Communications was sold to the French advertising and marketing services group Havas in an all-stock transaction valued at in excess of $2billion. Snyder's personal share of the proceeds was estimated to be $300million.
Washington Redskins / Football Team / Commanders ownership (1999–2023)
In May 1999, Snyder purchased the Washington Redskins and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium for $800million from the estate of Jack Kent Cooke, the team's former owner who died in 1997. At the time, it was the most expensive transaction in sporting history. The deal was financed largely through borrowed money, including $340 million borrowed from Société Générale and $155 million debt assumed on the stadium. To pay down the team's debt, in 2003, he sold 15% of the team to real estate developer Dwight Schar for $200 million, 15% to Florida financier Robert Rothman for a like amount; and 5% to FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith, leaving him with a 65% ownership interest. Over the years, Snyder served on the NFL's broadcast, business ventures, digital media, international, stadium, and Hall of Fame committees.
In late December 2019, Snyder announced that team president Bruce Allen and several other front office members were fired after a dismal 3–13 season.
In 2020, Snyder blocked the minority owners from selling their combined 35% ownership stake to an outside party by exercising his right of first refusal, only offering to buy back the 20% held by Rothman and Smith but not the 15% owned by Schar.
In March 2021, after a period of litigation, the league approved Snyder for a debt waiver of $450 million to acquire the remaining ownership stake held by the three in a deal worth about $875 million. Due to financial problems and increasing pressure from the NFL and other parties, he hired BofA Securities in November 2022 to explore selling the team. Snyder began negotiating with a group headed by Josh Harris in April 2023, and agreed in May to sell the franchise for $6.05 billion. The deal was unanimously approved by other NFL owners on July 20, 2023, and closed the following day.
Other ventures Snyder owned expansion rights to an Arena Football League team for the Washington, D.C., market before the 2009 demise of the original league. He purchased the rights to the team for $4 million in 1999. The team was going to be called the Washington Warriors and play their games at the Comcast Center in 2003 but the team never started.
In 2005, Snyder bought 12% of the stock of amusement park operator Six Flags through his private equity company RedZone Capital. He later gained control of the board, placing his friend and ESPN executive Mark Shapiro as CEO and himself as chairman. In April 2009, the New York Stock Exchange delisted Six Flags' stock as it had fallen below the minimal market capitalization.Atlanta Business Journal: "Six Flags delisted". bizjournals.com. April 9, 2009 Two months later, Six Flags announced that the company was delaying a $15 million debt payment and two weeks later, Six Flags filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of the reorganization, 92% of the company ended up in the hands of their lenders,Bloomberg: "Six Flags Would Be Owned by Lenders Under Proposal (Update2)" By Steven Church August 21, 2009 with Snyder and Shapiro being removed from their positions.Worcester Telegram: "Chairman off Six Flags board" May 2, 2010
In July 2006, Snyder launched Red Zebra Broadcasting with the purchase of a trio of sports radio stations in Washington, D.C. He purchased three other radio stations in the mid-Atlantic region, and broadcast coverage of Redskins games on all of his stations. In 2017 and 2018, Red Zebra sold off all of its radio stations and ceased doing business.
Also in July 2006, Snyder and other investors signed a deal to provide financing to the production company run by Tom Cruise and his partner, Paula Wagner. This came one week after Paramount Pictures severed its ties with Cruise and Wagner. Snyder is credited as an executive producer for the 2008 movie Valkyrie, which starred Cruise.
In February 2007, it was announced that Snyder's private equity firm Red Zone Capital Management would purchase Johnny Rockets, the 1950s-themed diner chain. RedZone Capital Management sold the company to Sun Capital Partners in 2013. From 2007 to 2012, Snyder also owned entertainment company Dick Clark Productions.
Snyder is a backer of the film production company Kinematics, which was founded by filmmaker Mark H. Rapaport. The production company financed the 2024 film The Apprentice, which is a portrayal of Donald Trump early in his business and real estate career in New York City. According to ESPN sources, Snyder invested in the film believing it would portray Trump favorably. When the film was screened in his home in February 2024, Snyder reportedly became upset about the negative portrayal of Trump. The film was shelved before Kinematics sold its stake in the film in the summer of 2024.
Reception and controversies Snyder is widely considered to be one of the worst owners in the history of North American professional sports. Under his ownership, the team had a regular season record of with a postseason record of , never reaching past the Divisional Round. The media alleged that his managerial style and workplace culture directly affected the team's performance during his tenure as the principal owner. In reflecting on Snyder in 2025, The Washington Post referred to him as "largely forgotten", while Snyder reportedly said that he "fucking hates it" when asked how he felt about seeing Washington win games without him in the 2024 NFL season, where they made their first NFC Championship Game appearance since the 1991 season, eight years before Snyder bought the team.
Under Snyder, the team sued season ticket holders who were unable to pay during the Great Recession in the late 2000s, despite his claim that there were over 200,000 people on the season ticket waiting list. Partway through the 2009 season, Snyder temporarily banned all signs from FedExField, leading to further fan discontentment.Redskins reverse ban on fans bringing signs to FedEx Field. nfl.com. July 26, 2012 Fans also expressed discontentment about the game day experience, rising ticket and parking prices, and Snyder's policy of charging fans for tailgates in special areas of the stadium lot.Redskins raise ticket prices. foxsports.com. June 2, 2014 A 2023 survey conducted by the NFL Players Association ranked Washington as the worst team to play for, with the lowest grades for their team facilities and lack of accommodations for the players and their families.
Redskins name
In May 2013, in response to a question regarding the team's federal trademark and name, Snyder told the USA Today: "We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER—you can use caps."Brady, Erik (May 9, 2013) "Daniel Snyder says Redskins will never change name". USA Today Snyder refused to meet with Native American advocates for a name change. A pitched public relations battle in 2013 and 2014 led Snyder to employ crisis management and PR firms in an effort to defend the name. Snyder's creation of the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation in 2014 was seen by some activists as a disingenuous effort to buy favor from Native American communities.