Three members of the Tisch family are asking the NFL to approve a transfer of their ownership stakes in the New York Giants to trusts for their children, according to a league memo obtained by ESPN. If the move is approved by the league’s finance committee, Steve Tisch, Laurie Tisch and Jonathan Tisch would no longer directly own a share of the franchise.
The March 11 memo says the proposed transfer covers the family’s remaining 23.1% interest in the team. It also notes that earlier transfers to the same trusts were approved in 2023 and 2024.
According to ESPN, the document says the three sellers would no longer hold any ownership interest in the club once the transaction is completed.
When asked about the matter Wednesday, a Giants spokesperson told ESPN there was nothing further to add. An NFL spokesperson declined to comment.
The request comes after Steve Tisch’s name surfaced in Justice Department records released in January as part of a broader document disclosure tied to Jeffrey Epstein. ESPN reported that the records included email exchanges from around 2013 between Tisch and Epstein, as well as an invitation to the owner’s box for a Giants game.
In a January statement quoted by ESPN, Tisch said his connection to Epstein was limited and that he regretted the association.
“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” Tisch said. “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
People familiar with the memo told ESPN the transfer was viewed as part of routine family succession planning. At the same time, ESPN said some league and team figures had been expecting more clarity on Tisch’s standing before this month’s NFL meetings in Arizona.
Tisch has not been accused of a crime. Still, it is not yet clear what his future role with the organization will look like.
The Giants remain jointly controlled by the Tisch and Mara families. The Mara family has owned the franchise since 1925. Jonathan Tisch serves as team treasurer and sits on the board, while Laurie Tisch is also a board member. John Mara is the club’s president and chief executive officer. The Koch family bought a noncontrolling stake in the Giants last year.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in jail before trial. Authorities ruled his death a suicide. He had earlier pleaded guilty in Florida in a 2008 case involving solicitation of a minor and was later required to register as a sex offender.
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