Merritt Paulson

Henry Merritt Paulson III (born 1972/1973) is an American businessman who is the minority owner of Peregrine Sports, LLC, which owns the operating rights to the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team, and the Portland Thorns FC, a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team, both based in Portland, Oregon. Early life and education Paulson's father is Henry Paulson, a banker who served as the 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury, and was formerly chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. His mother is Wendy (née Judge) Paulson. In 1995, Paulson graduated from Hamilton College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He later earned a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Career Portland Beavers In anticipation of acquiring sports franchises, Paulson formed Shortstop, LLC, which was organized as a Delaware entity. In May 2007 Paulson's investment group, Shortstop, purchased the Portland Beavers and the Portland Timbers from California businessman Abe Alizadeh. The purchase made Shortstop the Beavers' fourth owners since 2001. Hank Paulson, Merritt Paulson's father, was a minority partner in the company. The Portland Beavers played the 2007–2010 seasons under the ownership and management of Paulson's Shortstop organization.