Who Pulls the Strings?
The Jacobs Family
Directly above the ICE offices sit the global headquarters of Delaware North, a $3 billion hospitality company owned by the Jacobs family. Jeremy Jacobs Sr. is Buffalo's only Forbes billionaire, worth about $5.4 billion.
Jeremy M. Jacobs
Chairman, Delaware North; Owner & Governor, Boston Bruins
Jerry Jacobs Jr.
CEO, Delaware North; Alternate Governor, Boston Bruins
Lou Jacobs
CEO, Delaware North; Alternate Governor, Boston Bruins
Charlie Jacobs
CEO, Delaware North; CEO, Boston Bruins
Despite the wealth, they still take the handouts.
One month before ECIDA approved $9.6 million in tax breaks for Uniland to build 250 Delaware, the same agency quietly approved a separate $807,000 sales tax waiver for Delaware North to outfit the new offices. Investigative Post
Simultaneously, Delaware North applied to New York State for job-creation tax credits on the 65 jobs it pledged. A source estimated the credits could be worth up to $4 million over ten years, or roughly $61,500 per promised job.
The family also runs a private foundation, the Margaret D. & Jeremy M. Jacobs Family Foundation, with $10.3 million in assets and $883,000 granted in 2024. Tax-exempt charity that doubles as a tax deduction. ProPublica / IRS 990
Network of Influence
Jeremy Jacobs Sr. is Buffalo's only billionaire, worth about $5.4 billion. That fortune buys reach: they fund politicians from federal elections to the Governor's office, sit on the business boards that win government contracts, and earn tax breaks through philanthropy. Map their network of deals, donations, and favors, and we can start to hold them accountable.
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The lease expires March 31, 2027. The pressure is ours to apply.
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