16 Facts About Gene Klein

Eugene Victor Klein was an American businessman who was chairman of the board of directors and chief stockholder of National General Corporation, an insurance and entertainment company based in Los Angeles, California.

Gene Klein was an investor in National Theaters and Television, Inc.

When Salinger lost, Klein hired him as National General's vice president in charge of advertising.

In 1972, Gene Klein left the Democratic party to support the 1972 presidential candidacy of the incumbent Republican, Richard Nixon.

The majority owner, Gene Klein served as the team's president and head of operations.

Gene Klein refused to renegotiate player contracts, most notably Jefferson's and defensive end Fred Dean's contracts at the beginning of the 1981 season.

In 1984, Gene Klein sold his interest in the San Diego Chargers to Alex Spanos.

Gene Klein established Del Rayo Racing Stables, a 237-acre stables, breeding operation, and training center in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Gene Klein hired D Wayne Lukas to train his horses.

In just seven years of racing, Gene Klein raced six champions, two of which are in the Hall of Fame, and earned a total of eleven Eclipse Awards, including being personally voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner three years running from 1985 to 1987.

Gene Klein started an offshoot business near his Rancho Santa Fe stables in the mid-1980s.

Gene Klein developed two luxury residential real estate projects called Del Rayo Estates and Del Rayo Downs.

In poor health, in 1989 Gene Klein retired from racing, selling off his 146 horses just a few months before he died.

Gene Klein was a benefactor to a number of charities and was a major donor to the Scripps Research Institute.

Gene Klein was active in the San Diego Hall of Champions, the San Diego Museum of Art, the American Cancer Society and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Gene Klein married Frances Klein, who was Jewish; they had two children: Michael Klein and Randee Klein King.