Why Sixers Owner Joshua Harris Met With President Trump
New Philadelphia 76ers owner Joshua Harris laughs before the start of a news conference at the Palestra Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011, in Philadelphia. The ownership group also includes David Blitzer, Art Wrubel, and Jason Levien. The sale ends Comcast-Spectacor’s 15-year run of ownership. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Philadelphia 76ers owner Joshua Harris was one of several business leaders who met with President Donald Trump yesterday to discuss the president’s infrastructure plans.
Reuters reports that Harris, who co-founded private equity firm Apollo Global Management, was invited to discuss potential public-private partnerships for Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure project. Harris was reportedly joined by Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, Vornado Realty Trust CEO Steve Roth, real estate developer Richard LeFrak, McKinsey & Company partner Tyler Duvall and General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford.
The massive infrastructure project includes plans to rebuild roads, bridges, highways, schools, hospitals and other public works projects. (It even reportedly includes I-95 in Philadelphia on its “priority list.”)
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a press release that “strong public-private partnerships” are key to the infrastructure plan.
“The government has wasted too much of the taxpayers’ money on inefficient and misguided projects,” Spicer said. “By looking at infrastructure from a businessperson’s perspective, as the president and these executives do, we can restore respect for the taxpayer dollar and make the best investment.”
It’s not yet clear what role Harris will play in the infrastructure project, if any. Vice President Mike Pence, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt were also reportedly in attendance at the meeting.
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