York shares reason for shift in 49ers’ principal ownership

ORLANDO, Fla. — The York family owns 97 percent of the 49ers, and that is the way they expect to keep it for a long, long time. Jed York, 43, who has served as 49ers CEO since 2010, purchased enough equity from his mother, Denise DeBartolo York, to become the principal owner of the franchise. His parents, John and Denise, will remain in their positions as co-chairs of the organization, York said. "It's much more of a long-term family-planning thing and making sure this team stays in our family for generations to come," York said when NBC Sports Bay Area asked him Tuesday about the ownership transition at the NFL Annual Meeting. Edward DeBartolo Sr. purchased the 49ers for $13 million in 1977 from Jane and Josephine Morabito, the wives of original franchise owners Tony and Victor Morabito. Controlling ownership of the 49ers passed from Edward DeBartolo Jr. to his sister, Denise, in a 2000 settlement after DeBartolo stepped aside following his involvement in a Louisiana gambling fraud scandal. In the past 23 years, the value of the 49ers has risen from $379 million to $6 billion, according to Forbes. Jed York's rise to become the 49ers' principal owner is a move designed to avoid...