Spirit owner Michele Kang makes $30M donation to USA Soccer

WASHINGTON (Agencies): Michele Kang will invest $30 million in U.S. Soccer over five years, making the Washington Spirit’s owner the biggest contributor ever to girl’s and women’s soccer initiatives through the national program. The donation is the largest ever to U.S. Soccer by a woman. Kang not only is the owner of the NWSL’s Spirit, she also is the majority owner of women’s soccer teams Olympique Lyonnais Feminin in France and London City Lionesses in England. Investments in women’s sports are nothing new to Kang, who donated $50 million in July for women’s health initiatives in sports, then donated $4 million to the U.S. women’s rugby sevens program after the Paris Olympics, while also creating her own sports science nonprofit. Kang originally purchased a 35-percent stake in the Spirit in 2020 then became the majority owner in 2022 for a $35 million investment. The club will face the Orlando Pride on Saturday for the NWSL title. The 65-year-old is the founder and CEO of Cognosante, a medical technology company. In May, Cognosante was acquired by Accenture Federal Services for an undisclosed sum. Kang’s Kynisca Sports International, which was launched in July and based in London, invested $2 million on Oct. 31 in IDA Sports, which is developing footwear for female athletes. In January, Kang joined the ownership group of the Baltimore Orioles.