The Hostess cupcake owner who froze and shrank the new Twinkie was the mystery bidder for the Buffalo Bills, several sources tell On the Money.
Billionaire C. Dean Metropoulos made a serious run at the Bills and a few weeks before final bids were due,was confident of winning, a source said.
Metropoulos said he did have conversations with the Bills although he did not make a final offer for the team, but sources say he was in the contest until the end.
Last week, fracking billionaire Terrence Pegula reached a deal to buy the Bills for $1.4 billion, a much higher price than expected and a record for an NFL team. He paid so much partially because he believed there was a mystery bidder willing to offer a similar amount, sources said.
Massachusetts native Metropoulos has made his fortune teaming with private equity firms in buying well known and slumping consumer food brands, including Hostess, which had been in bankruptcy, in 2013. He typically brings brands back to life, at least for a short time, with new marketing campaigns.