Pilot Flying J is $4 Billion in Debt – That’s No Big Deal, Right?

As the legal problems for Pilot Flying J grow, it has been reported that the company of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is now $4 billion in debt. That, of course, seems to pose a problem for someone who very recently bought a football team.

The major question is how this affects Haslam’s cash flow with the team. This fire was stoked even more when it was also reported that the Haslams were selling their stake in their minor league baseball team, the Tennessee Smokies.

But from the looks of it – as of right now – the operations of the Browns do not seem to be affected. If the federal investigation and compounding lawsuits haven’t affected the team yet, one would assume Haslam is going to be able to keep the Browns in the long run.

The problem is, Haslam isn’t even close to being a year-old owner, and these are the things he is dealing with. As a billion dollar investment, Haslam isn’t going to be so quick to give up on the team, but it’s obviously concerning to know the organization couldn’t even find an owner without some sort of impending debt or legal problem.

For now, the team itself is operating outside of Pilot Flying J’s expansive consequences, but one wonders how long that might last.