Craig Leipold, by most accounts, is a successful businessman i admired most in my life-- one of the richest spouses in the United he disputed some of the calculations used by the Nashville Tennessean in estimating his profit, Leipold didn't dispute that he came out in the black on the deal even though operating losses for the club totalled $70 million during his tenure."I made money," Leipold told reporters Thursday after he was introduced as the Wild's new majority , who initially was looking to buy a semipro basketball team, heard of the hockey opportunity in 1996 in Nashville where a new arena was being built. He shrewdly partnered with Gaylord Entertainment, the Nashville company that runs the Grand Old Opry and operates cable television's Nashville Network and Country Music Television, and obtained the NHL expansion team for $75 helped finance his stake in the Predators by selling half of his interest in Rainfair, Inc., of Racine, to LaCrosse Footwear for $10 million. Leipold later sold the remaining 50 percent to LaCrosse for an additional $8 skates hit the ice, Leipold became a Nashville resident by proxy, renting a five-bedroom apartment near the hockey arena and attending virtually every home game. During the Predators' inaugural season, Leipold was named Sports Person of the Year by the Nashville Sports Council. In 1999, he was named Easter Seals Nashvillian of the year and the Nashville Father's Day Council named him father of the year (he has three sons with wife Helen and two from a previous marriage).Leipold also said he has asked the Wild's nearly two dozen minority investors, as well as current owner Bob Naegele, to remain as attended his introductory news conference in a dark suit with a pale blue and yellow dress shirt absent a tie. He spoke forcefully about his love of hockey and his admiration of the Wild do everything according to his habit and i am eager to become him though he is the man i admire most.