Terry Pegula, owner, CEO and president of the Buffalo Bills and Brandon Beane, general manager, talk and walk off the field at the end of practice at the Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford on July 24, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Owner Terry Pegula under attack from Bills Mafia for flaunting luxury yacht

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Richie Whitt | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 1:21 PM ET

The man who "saved" the Buffalo Bills is now rubbing fans the wrong way.

Owner Terry Pegula, who bought the team in 2014 when some felt it would move out of Buffalo, negotiated a deal to build new Highmark Stadium with the help of New York taxpayer money. Members of the rapid, unflinchingly loyal Bills Mafia fan base are now taking offense to Pegula seeking their financial as he flaunts his $100 million yacht in Newport, Rhode Island.

Pegula's net worth is $7.6 billion. The new stadium costs $2.2 billion (more than $500 million over the original budget), with New Yorkers pitching in $600 million and Erie County residents another $250 million. It's the largest amount ever for taxpayer money contributed to an NFL stadium construction.

Under Pegula's ownership, the Bills' value has quadrupled to $6 billion.

NFL owners are a wealthy bunch. Dallas Cowboys owner also owns a yacht and zips around the skies of Dallas in his private helicopter. But Pegula is under fire not just for his luxury vessel, but also for seemingly being out of touch with the Bills. Though they are small-market team founded in blue-collar values, Pegula rarely speaks publicly about his team. He didn't know the jersey number of last year's rookie sensation and fan favorite, "Buffalo Joe" Andreessen. And on a recent episode of Hard Knocks, he was seen toasting champagne with his elitist buddies.

When video of Pegula's yacht - "Top Five II" - surfaced, Bills Mafia took to social media to air its grievances.

"The Pegulas are relaxing in Newport while we pay for the stadium? That’s a slap in the face," one fan wrote in a Reddit thread.

Another Reddit user wrote: "Love the Bills, but this stadium deal is robbery. Pegulas pay nothing while we go broke."

Pegula's custom yacht, bult in 2021, features Louis Vuitton and Gucci designs, a pool, sauna, gym and movie theater.

The Bills finish their preseason schedule Saturday night in Tampa against the Buccaneers.