Joe Lacob – Bio, Wife, Girlfriend, Son, Daughter, Is He Gay?

Quick Facts

Joe Lacob is one successful business executive who took his love for basketball to a commercial level by establishing his own team. The business mogul owns a majority of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lacob has been actively involved in the sports for several years, living out his childhood passion.

Apart from his sports business establishment, he is also a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and has also dwelt so much in the health sector. Lacob’s success story is one that should be heard by any aspiring entrepreneur. Here are lesser known facts about the business tycoon.

Joe Lacob – Biography

He was born on the 10th of January 1956, in New Bedford Massachusetts to his parents; Sidney, his father, and Marlene, his mother. He grew up in a middle-class Jewish family where the values of the Jewish tradition was instilled in him. Growing up, Lacob was an ardent lover of basketball and threw his weight behind NBA’s Boston Celtics, his favorite team. Joe and his entire family soon relocated to Anaheim California and he tilted his support to the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Having based in California, he continued his education in the big city. After high school, he attended the University of California Irvine where he got a degree in Biological Sciences. Afterwards, he proceeded to the University of California Los Angeles (ULCA) for his masters in public health. Lacob is also an alumnus of Standford Graduate School of Business.

It was at the business school that his hidden passion for business and entrepreneurship began to reflect. He began his career with Cetus Corporation, a biotechnology company where he held an executive position. He subsequently worked as an executive in other companies like Booz, Allen & Hamilton and FHP International, a health organization.

In 1987, Lacob became a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPBC) where he gradually mastered the business of investment. The business icon still works with the company and has seen to the company’s investment in over 50 life science companies. He joined Corixa corporation in 1994 as a director and also worked as a director at TherOx, Inc. Lacob also worked in the advisory boards of companies like ‘Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.’ and ‘Celladon Corporation.

Despite his seeming attachment to health science companies, Joe’s undying love for the game of basketball was always on the fore. Beginning his sports venture, he was first an investor in the American Basketball League which folded after a rival Women’s National Basketball Association WNBA emerged. He was a part owner of the Celtics before he bought the Golden State Warriors along with a group of investors in July 2010.

The Warriors were acquired from Chris Cohan for a whopping $450 million. Lacob’s acquisition of the team brought an end to their NBA Championship drought since 1975, as the Warriors clinched two championships out of seven seasons. The Warriors float on a value of over $2 billion.

Personal Life – Wife, Girlfriend, Son, Daughter

Joe Lacob is not all about sports and its components but is also a lover and a father. The business mogul was married before to Laurie Kraus. With his ex-wife, he has four children; two sons, Kirk and Kent and two daughters Kelly and Kayci. Kirk also works with the Golden State Warriors as the Assistant GM.

After the couple’s divorce, Lacob began a relationship with Nicole Curran. Curran happens to be a part of the board of directors at The Warriors Community Foundation. She is always remembered for her significant role in the foundation’s donation of over $6 million to the community. She is also into wine brewing.

The couple has been dating for so many years. Curran has been there with the Warriors owner even when he purchased the prestigious NBA team. Neither Lacob nor Curran is discreet about their relationship. She is always seen with him during games and several other public places.

Is He Gay?

Joe Lacob made the news for speculations pertaining to his sexuality in 2011 when he hired an openly gay man to serve as an executive at the Golden State Warriors. It must have been a noble move, especially to the LGBT community but this also earned him some insinuations about his sexuality. From his relationships, however, it is quite glaring that the Warriors owner is straight.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.