Updated March 11, 2026, 1:28 p.m. ET
The Tisch family has requested to transfer their stakes in the New York Giants into trusts established for their children, reports ESPN and multiple NFL insiders.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, and Jordan Raanan highlighted this development, noting the move as a strategic estate planning step by the family, which holds a significant 45 percent ownership share in the franchise alongside the Mara family’s equivalent stake and a 10 percent portion held by the Julia Koch family since 2025.
New York Giants co-owners Steve, Laurie and Jonathan Tisch are requesting to transfer their stakes in the team to their children’s trusts, according to an NFL memo obtained by ESPN.
The move is subject to approval by the league’s Finance Committee, the memo shows.
“Prior transfers to these Trusts were completed pursuant to 2023 and 2024 Finance Committee approvals,” the memo, dated March 11, states. “The Sellers now propose to transfer their entire remaining interests, totaling 23.1% of the Club, to the Trusts.”
A Giants spokesman told ESPN there was “nothing to add.”
The timing follows a period of heightened scrutiny on co-owner Steve Tisch, 76, stemming from his name appearing in recently released Department of Justice files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
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Documents from 2013 included emails where Epstein allegedly discussed introductions to adult women, along with topics like movies, philanthropy, and investments. Tisch issued a statement describing the association as brief and limited, expressing deep regret and clarifying that he never accepted invitations to Epstein’s island or engaged in any wrongdoing. No criminal allegations have been made against him in connection with Epstein’s crimes.
“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments. I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with,” Tisch’s previous statement read.
The NFL reviewed the matter under its personal conduct policy, with Commissioner Roger Goodell indicating the league would examine the facts to assess relevance. Giants general manager Joe Schoen and coach John Harbaugh later addressed the issue minimally, deferring to Tisch’s statement of regret while emphasizing respect for ownership and focus on team operations.
“Steve released a statement a few weeks ago about the regrets, so I’m just going to leave it at that, and I’m not going to comment any more on that,” Schoen said at the 2026 NFL Combine.
“I don’t have a stance on that. Steve put out a statement, I think I saw, where he expressed his regret. And that’s where it stands for me. That’s where I’m at,” Harbaugh said. “I have great respect for the ownership — all the people I’ve gotten to meet. Nothing but great conversations, great interactions. And we’ve been talking about the business of football, the business of building our team.”
Speculation about ownership changes in 2026 had circulated due to John Mara’s health challenges and the Epstein-related controversy, potentially leading to discipline or succession adjustments.
For the Tisch side, transferring stakes into trusts for the next generation would represent a proactive measure to secure family interests in the franchise amid these dynamics, without any reported intent to sell the holdings outright.
This potential transition underscores ongoing generational planning among the Giants’ controlling families as the team navigates both on-field performance and off-field matters.
