Billionaire’s Two Daughters Reach US Open Semifinals: Here’s Where Their Money Comes From

The two American women who reached the semifinals of the US Open not only share determination and skill, but also have something else in common: both of their fathers are billionaires.

On Thursday, No. 12 WTA player Emma Navarro, from the United States, will face No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, from Belarus, for a spot in the final. On the other side of the bracket, No. 6 Jessica Pegula, also from the United States, will play Karolina Muchova, from the Czech Republic.

The Navarro and Pegula family fortune is no secret. Pegula previously told Agence France Presse that it was “irritating” when people made assumptions about her based on her father’s business successes.

“I recently did something media-related. They asked, ‘What’s the most annoying thing?'” she told the outlet. “People think I have a butler, that I’m a chauffeur. I have a private limousine, that I fly everywhere privately. I’m definitely not like that.”

She also admitted that she thinks “it’s kind of funny because I don’t really know anyone who lives like that. It’s outrageous.”

Where did their fathers’ wealth come from?

Terry Pegula, Jessica’s father, made his fortune in oil and gas as the founder of East Resources. In 2010, he sold most of the company’s assets to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion, Forbes reports. He now oversees a sports empire that includes ownership of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.

According to Forbes, Terry Pegula’s net worth is $7.7 billion.

Navarro also has financial resources separate from her professional tennis earnings. Her father, Ben Navarro, is the founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group. He is worth an estimated $1.5 billion, according to Forbes.

The financial services company buys and services consumer debt from financial institutions, credit card companies and retailers. Navarro also owns the Charleston Open, a WTA Tour event.

Tennis can be exorbitantly expensive, with court fees, equipment and lesson costs that add up and often create barriers to entry for many young players. While both American semifinalists may have had access to top-notch coaching from a young age, no amount of money can buy a US Open championship.

—According to Associated Press reports