Key Takeaways
- • RISE, a Frisco, Texas-based firm founded by former college football player Michael Ledo, manages nearly $200 million in assets for 18 clients across the United States, most of them top-100 college and professional athletes earning between $500,000 and $20 million annually.
- • RISE applies a single-family office model to first-generation athletes and wealth creators, offering investing, accounting, business development, lifestyle management and concierge services.
- • Clients include former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith, Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III and NFL free agent D'Ante Smith, who have invested in private companies, commercial real estate and SpaceX before its public listing.
- • According to the article, Bates is expected to earn roughly $1.5 million on a $150,000 SpaceX investment made when the company was valued at $127 billion, through one of RISE's fund partners.
- • RISE moved its headquarters to Frisco from Fort Wayne, Ind. in 2020, and was originally founded as a management consulting firm before becoming a family office.
Summary
RISE, a Frisco-based firm founded by entrepreneur Michael Ledo, is positioning itself as a family office for athletes, a population Ledo says is poorly served by conventional wealth managers. Ledo, a former college football player, was inspired by observing wealthy single-family offices while working with athletes, concluding that athletes lacked comparable structure. According to the Dallas Morning News, the firm manages nearly $200 million for 18 clients nationwide, with most earning between $500,000 and $20 million annually. RISE hopes to attract entertainers going forward.
The firm's clients include former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith, Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III and NFL free agent D'Ante Smith. They have invested in private companies and deals spanning commercial real estate and SpaceX before its public listing. Bates' portfolio includes real estate, venture capital and private equity stakes in companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Databricks, Cart.com and Turo. Jay Bass, RISE's head of private investments, said Bates will likely make $1.5 million from a $150,000 SpaceX investment made when the company was valued at $127 billion, through one of RISE's fund partners.
RISE offers investing, accounting, business development, lifestyle management and concierge services. It has contracted with an accounting firm and finalized a deal with a registered investment adviser to bring services in-house, and partners with the Indianapolis-based Sagamore Institute on philanthropy. Monthly education sessions cover topics such as taxes and alternative investments, and quarterly investor dinners have featured speakers including H.J. Russell III, Joe Montana and Baron Davis. Annie Bailey, partner and COO, said many athletes struggle to think beyond their sporting careers.
RISE was founded as a management consulting firm and moved its headquarters to Frisco from Fort Wayne, Ind. in 2020. The firm has also helped clients invest through Dallas Opportunity Partners, led by Derek Wilson, and venture capital firm Summit Peak. Ledo said the firm's approach reflects an understanding of first-generation wealth creators, athletes and minorities, whom he believes the existing wealth system was not designed to serve.
The firm's clients include former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith, Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III and NFL free agent D'Ante Smith. They have invested in private companies and deals spanning commercial real estate and SpaceX before its public listing. Bates' portfolio includes real estate, venture capital and private equity stakes in companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Databricks, Cart.com and Turo. Jay Bass, RISE's head of private investments, said Bates will likely make $1.5 million from a $150,000 SpaceX investment made when the company was valued at $127 billion, through one of RISE's fund partners.
RISE offers investing, accounting, business development, lifestyle management and concierge services. It has contracted with an accounting firm and finalized a deal with a registered investment adviser to bring services in-house, and partners with the Indianapolis-based Sagamore Institute on philanthropy. Monthly education sessions cover topics such as taxes and alternative investments, and quarterly investor dinners have featured speakers including H.J. Russell III, Joe Montana and Baron Davis. Annie Bailey, partner and COO, said many athletes struggle to think beyond their sporting careers.
RISE was founded as a management consulting firm and moved its headquarters to Frisco from Fort Wayne, Ind. in 2020. The firm has also helped clients invest through Dallas Opportunity Partners, led by Derek Wilson, and venture capital firm Summit Peak. Ledo said the firm's approach reflects an understanding of first-generation wealth creators, athletes and minorities, whom he believes the existing wealth system was not designed to serve.
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