WASHINGTON -- Billionaire George Soros has joined one of the groups bidding for the Washington Nationals, the latest big name in a competition that has become as much about clout as money.
Soros and his Soros Fund Management have become partners in the Big Train Holdco Bid, led by Washington entrepreneur and former Washington Capitals part-owner Jon Ledecky.
"We have one of the greatest investors in history on board to validate our group's financial strength and ability to successfully manage this franchise," Ledecky said Wednesday. "We also have a concerned, caring and committed philanthropist interested in the well being of our city."
Last week, former Secretary of State Colin Powell joined the Washington Baseball Club bid led by Fred Malek and Jeffrey Zients. Peter Fitzgerald, a former Republican senator from Illinois, recently became a partner in a bid group from Northern Virginia that also changed leadership, with Sallie Mae chairman Albert Lord taking over from former telecommunications executive William Collins.
After months of little activity, the sale of the Nationals moved forward Tuesday when seven groups submitted bids for the club that is owned by the other 29 major league teams. The commissioner's office is expected to take a week or two to analyze the bids before informing the groups of the next step.
The sale price of the Nationals is expected to easily top $300 million. All of the contending groups have deep pockets and could make similarly substantial bids, so they are eager for any additional prestige that can be gained by adding a prominent name.
Soros, 74, a noted philanthropist who is ranked No. 24 on the Forbes' list of richest people in the United States with a net worth of $7.2 billion. His Open Society Institute operates in 60 countries and has a domestic office in Baltimore, where it has distributed more than $50 million for various programs centered around revitalizing the inner city.
"Mr. Soros shares our vision that the Washington Nationals are a community trust that can serve as a positive platform for the educational and economic development of the inner city," Ledecky said.
Soros has also been active politically. He spent millions trying to defeat President Bush last year and this week traveled to the former Soviet republic of Georgia, where his foundation is credited with assisting the "Rose Revolution" that brought opposition leaders to power 16 months ago.
Major League Baseball bought the Montreal Expos in 2002 for $120 million. Baseball hopes to complete the sale this summer.
ivanthomas 
