David Bonderman, Seattle Kraken co-owner and billionaire investor, dies at 82

David Bonderman, a co-owner of the Seattle Kraken and co-founder of the Texas-based private equity firm TPG, died on Wednesday at age 82.

TPG wrote in a statement that Bonderman, a father of five and grandfather of three, died surrounded by family and "leaves behind a legacy marked by brilliance at every stage of his illustrious career combined with a relentless quest for knowledge and a passion for music, sports, adventure, and conservation."

Bonderman is an alumnus of the University of Washington, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1963. In 1995, he endowed the Bonderman Fellowships program at the university, which has supported travel around the world for more than 300 students, according to TPG.

In 1966, Bonderman graduated from Harvard Law School. He went on to serve as Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division from 1968 to 1969 under former President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Bonderman also worked as an assistant professor at Tulane University School of Law, an antitrust and corporate law attorney, and an investment executive at different points in his career. He started TPG in 1993, alongside two co-founders. According to the company's statement, Bonderman served on more than 80 corporate boards in his lifetime.

Bonderman returned to Seattle in 2018 to launch the Seattle Kraken ice hockey team, and helped lead efforts to transform the former Key Arena into the Climate Pledge Arena.

His professional accolades include being a recipient of the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement and the Woodrow Wilson Award of Corporate Citizenship, and an induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

"Despite David’s success, he never changed," TPG's statement reads. "He remained curious, meeting constantly with young entrepreneurs to learn about their ideas. And he possessed an extraordinary set of interests and pursuits that took him all over the world and created friendships across the business, sports, music, philanthropic, environmental, conservation, and academic communities."

The company also describes Bonderman as being "quietly a passionate advocate for a range of causes, particularly those related to environmental conservation, education, and healthcare."