How a 23-Year-Old Gamer Got Billionaires to Back His Esports Team
Competitive video games now require $20 million franchise fees, training facilities, and outside capital.
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Noah Whinston is a young man on the go. The 23-year-old college dropout has raised tens of millions of dollars, from investors such as former junk bond king Mike Milken and billionaire Phil Anschutz’s AEG, to be among the first team owners in a new international video-game league.
The Los Angeles Valiant will start competing next month in the inaugural year of Activision Blizzard Inc.’s Overwatch League. Whinston and his backers paid the video-game giant $20 million for their franchise rights, aiming to get in on the ground floor of what could be the next big professional sport.