Sam Schulman

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Samuel "Sam" Schulman (April 10, 1910 - June 12, 2003) was an American businessman from New York who was a founding owner and President of the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association and an owner of the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League.

Schulman was a successful Los Angeles businessman involved in the motion picture industry. Although his company was the backer of a number of films, he was rarely listed in any film credits with the exception of a few, the most notable of which was as executive producer of the 1985 production, To Live and Die in L.A..

Following the June 1966 announcement of the merger of the American Football League and the National Football League, on August 25 Sam Schulman and fellow Los Angeles businessman Eugene V. Klein headed a group of minority partners who purchased the San Diego Chargers for $10 million, at the time, a record price for an NFL franchise. Klein served as the football team's president and on December 20, 1966, Schulman and Klein led another group of minority investors who were awarded the NBA franchise for the city of Seattle, Washington. Schulman would be the active partner, serving as president of the team and head of operations. He ran the team until 1983 when he sold the franchise to Seattle media and entertainment company executive Barry Ackerley.

Sam Schulman died from a blood disease in 2003 at the age of 93 at his home in Beverly Hills.