## The Power Couple Behind Jessica Pegula: Terry and Kim Pegula’s Journey from Business Acumen to Sports Empire and Parental Devotion
**From self-made billionaire to sports franchise owners, Terry and Kim Pegula have built an extraordinary life, all while fiercely supporting their tennis star daughter, Jessica.**
While professional tennis player Jessica Pegula prepares to compete in the 2025 US Open, her journey to becoming one of the world’s top female athletes is deeply intertwined with the compelling story of her parents, Terry and Kim Pegula. Known globally for their co-ownership of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, the Pegulas represent a remarkable blend of entrepreneurial success, philanthropic spirit, and unwavering family commitment. Their personal narratives, from Kim’s poignant adoption story to Terry’s self-made fortune, provide a rich backdrop to their daughter’s athletic endeavors.
### Kim Pegula: A Story of Resilience and Heritage
Kim Pegula’s life began far from the frosty landscape of Buffalo, N.Y. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she faced an uncertain start, reportedly left near a police station and spending time in an orphanage. Her destiny changed on Christmas Eve 1974, when her Canadian-born adoptive parents, Ralph and Marilyn Kerr, received a life-altering call. By New Year’s Eve, at the age of five, Kim met her new family and two brothers at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, embarking on a new life in Fairport, N.Y.
Though her early childhood memories remain elusive, the impact of her adoption is undeniable. In a 2016 NFL.com interview, Kim reflected on her parents as “the biggest influences” in her life, marveling at the “fate in life” that led her to live her dream. This deep appreciation for her roots has resonated with Jessica, who, after winning the 2023 Hana Bank Korea Open in Seoul, expressed a profound connection to her half-Korean heritage. “This one is extra special,” Jessica wrote on X, noting her mother’s visit to her orphanage four years prior—a pivotal moment that “was the first time she felt open about learning about her past.”
### Terry Pegula: From $7,500 Loan to Billion-Dollar Empire
Terry Pegula’s path to immense wealth and influence began in Carbondale, Pa. A 1973 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering, he started his career at Getty Oil Co. in Texas. By 1975, he moved to Olean, N.Y., joining Felmont Oil Co. It was in 1983, with a modest loan of $7,500 from family and friends, that Terry founded East Resources Inc., his oil and gas exploration and production company. His foresight and tireless work ethic paid off handsomely: by 2010, he sold the majority of his assets to Royal Dutch Shell for a staggering $4.7 billion, cementing his status as a self-made billionaire.
### A Partnership Forged in Buffalo
Terry and Kim’s paths converged in 1991 at an upstate New York restaurant. Kim, then 21, a recent Houghton College communications graduate with broadcast journalism aspirations, was waitressing to fund a trip to Alaska. Terry, 39, a divorced father of two, was dining there. A conversation led to a business card exchange, then a job offer at East Resources. “The rest is history,” Kim recounted to NFL.com. They married two years later, in 1993, forging a three-decade-long partnership that would redefine Buffalo’s sports landscape.
Together, they are parents to three children: Jessica, Kelly, and Matthew. Terry also has two older children, Laura and Michael, from his first marriage.
### Prioritizing “Our First Sports Team”
Even as their sports empire grew, the Pegulas consistently placed Jessica’s athletic ambitions above all else. They began encouraging her to play tennis at age seven, a commitment that led them to relocate their family multiple times, from Buffalo to Wexford, Pa., then South Carolina, and ultimately Florida, to facilitate her training. “We always say she’s our first sports team and our favorite,” Kim told WKBW-TV in August 2019, after Jessica secured her Citi Open title in Washington, D.C., a testament to their deep parental pride and sacrifice.
### Building a Buffalo Sports Dynasty
With the proceeds from the East Resources sale, the Pegulas embarked on their sports ventures, starting with a significant $102 million donation in 2010 to build the state-of-the-art Pegula Ice Arena at Penn State. The following year, they purchased the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. In 2014, they cemented their legacy in Western New York by acquiring the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, becoming only the second owners in the team’s storied history. Terry boldly declared his ambition: “Owning any professional team is about winning and the primary goal of our ownership will be to win the Super Bowl and bring championships to the city of Buffalo.”
Their diverse portfolio also includes the National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits and Rochester Knighthawks, and they manage the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
However, a strategic shift occurred in August 2023, when Terry dissolved Pegula Sports and Entertainment (PSE), the overarching company for their sports assets, and named himself president of both the Bills and Sabres. He explained in a statement, “We feel that now is the right time to dissolve PSE and allow everyone to focus solely on their respective organization,” signaling a streamlined approach to their sports operations.
### Jessica’s Inspiration: Kim’s Battle and Recovery
Jessica Pegula’s remarkable ascent in tennis has been punctuated by personal challenges, most notably her mother Kim’s severe health crisis. In June 2022, Kim experienced cardiac arrest while asleep. Jessica’s sister, Kelly, who was staying over, performed crucial CPR, a heroic act that, along with the swift response of paramedics, restored a heartbeat. Jessica revealed the family’s ordeal in a poignant February 2023 essay for The Players’ Tribune, detailing how they “lived in that hospital for basically two weeks,” with Terry remaining steadfastly by Kim’s side.
Kim’s recovery is ongoing, marked by “significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues,” though she is improving daily and retains her ability to read, write, and comprehend. Just months after this harrowing event, in November 2022, Jessica won her first WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara, Mexico, a victory she dedicated to her mother. “I wanted her to know that even after a terrible six months, I still fought every day because of her,” Jessica wrote, describing Kim crying during the trophy ceremony. In a further reflection of Kim’s impact, Terry “transferred a small percentage” of the Buffalo Bills team to his eldest daughter, Laura, in May 2024, reportedly due to Kim’s ongoing recovery and reduced responsibilities as president.
### The Dynamics of Parental Support
The Pegulas’ influence on Jessica’s career is profound, yet often takes a unique form. Jessica has revealed that her parents, particularly Terry, are so nervous watching her play that they often prefer to watch from home rather than in person. Terry, she noted at a September 2022 US Open press conference, “likes to give his little recap of the match or what the opponent was doing.” Interestingly, Kim, who previously avoided watching due to nerves, has started watching all of Jessica’s matches since her cardiac arrest, a testament to her renewed perspective and strength.
Jessica also detailed their distinct roles in her development in a September 2021 Bills Pod Squad podcast. She lightheartedly described her relationship with her father on the court as “oil and water,” but acknowledged his unwavering push for hard work and improvement with an “old school” mentality. Kim, on the other hand, focused on “off-court” aspects like “the diet, the recovery [and] the training.”
Today, Terry and Kim divide their time between Buffalo, where their sports teams reside, and their home in Boca Raton, Florida, a reflection of their expansive lives and commitments. Their journey, marked by personal triumphs, adversities, and unparalleled success, continues to unfold, with their unwavering support for Jessica Pegula remaining a constant, powerful force.
