Padres' late owner's widow sues for control of team from his siblings

The San Diego Padres are in the midst of a custody battle. 

Sheel Kamal Seidler, the widow of deceased team owner Peter Seidler, has filed a lawsuit against his two brothers in attempt to seize control of the team. 

The widow has alleged in her complaint that Peter, before his death, revealed his dying wish was for her to take control of the Padres, followed by their children, and that her children hold the largest stake in ownership. She adds that Peter's two brothers, Matt and Bob, "are trying to erase Peter's vision and legacy, as well as falsely cast themselves as Peter's true heirs."

The suit also alleges that Bob’s wife made multiple "racist, profane and hateful communications directed at Sheel—a woman of Indian descent—in communications."

The widow released a statement addressing the complaint on social media. 

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"The complaint alleges claims against Matthew and Robert for breaches of fiduciary duty and fraud. I would urge anyone who is interested in the details to read the full complaint. This was not a decision I made lightly. During this difficult period, I have done everything in my power to avoid unwanted distractions and resolve the matter privately. I have focused on supporting the work of the many dedicated professionals within the Padres organization, as well as the incredible players we have the privilege of watching nearly every day throughout the season. 

"I made this decision as a very last resort, but I am confident it is the right one, and the best way to protect the Padres franchise and ensure the vision that Peter and I shared for the team will continue."

Matt released a statement via Sportico, claiming that Sheel's allegations are "without merit." 

"The complaint filed by Sheel Seidler, the widow of Peter Seidler, is entirely without merit," Seidler said. "Peter had a clear estate plan. The plan specifically named three of his nine siblings, with whom he had worked closely for many decades, as successor trustees of his trust, and Peter himself prohibited Sheel from ever serving as trustee."

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Peter died in November 2023 at the age of 63. He had been ill for months, though it has not been disclosed what exactly he’d been dealing with. Seidler is a cancer survivor who had health issues for quite some time. 

He said in July 2023 that the Padres would stay within his family for generations after he passed away.

Seidler was the founder of Seidler Equity Partners, which was a key piece of the group that purchased the Padres in 2012. Seidler’s uncle, also named Peter, and Ron Fowler were a part of the group, too. 

The name of the group derives from Seidler’s grandfather, Walter O’Malley, who owned the Dodgers from 1950, when they first relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, until 1979. Fowler transferred the role of chairman to Seidler in 2020, and then Seidler purchased part of Fowler’s stake in the organization to become the team’s largest stakeholder. 

Prior to his death, he dealt out a series of high-cost contracts to superstar players in an effort to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West division and win a World Series. 

These contracts include Manny Machado's $350 million, deal, Fernando Tatis Jr.'s $340 million deal, Xander Bogaertz $280 million deal, and Yu Darvish's $108 million deal. 

The Athletic reported in November 2023 that the team took out a $50 loan to help pay for the costs of the contracts. 

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