It’s official: The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold to Jacksonville billionaire
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It’s official. The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold.
An ownership group led by 44-year-old billionaire Patrick Zalupski, CEO of Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes, has finalized the $1.7 billion purchase of the Major League Baseball franchise from longtime owner Stu Sternberg.
The transaction closed Tuesday following unanimous MLB approval last week.
“It’s an incredible honor to become the stewards of the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise with a proud history and a bright future,” said Zalupski in a statement. “We are especially privileged to have been chosen by Stu Sternberg as his successors, and we’re all energized by the responsibility to serve Rays fans everywhere and this great game.
Commissioner Rob Manfred added, “Major League Baseball is pleased to welcome Patrick and his partners to the ownership ranks. Their collective experience and passion for the game will serve the Rays well as they enter this exciting new chapter."
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After five years away, The Moon Under Water is reopening on Monday, November 16th, at 5 p.m., bringing its British pub fare, Indian curries, and extensive beer selection to downtown Gulfport.
The restaurant, which operated for more than two decades on Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg, has found a new home at 2832 Beach Boulevard South, formerly occupied by The Drunken Taco, which closed in September 2025.
The reopening will bring back longtime favorites, including fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and a variety of Indian curries ranging from tikka masala to vindaloo.
The Moon Under Water first opened in 1997 at 332 Beach Drive NE. Founded by Alan and Suzanne Lucas, who moved to St. Pete from Wales, the British Colonial pub operated for nearly 25 years before closing in 2021, when the space was converted into Ceviche.