Kim Pegula was born in Seoul, South Korea and at age 5 was adopted by her parents and raised primarily in Fairport, NY. She attended nearby Houghton College and graduated in 1991 with a degree in Communications. In 1993 Kim married Terry Pegula and began her business career in 1991 with East Resources, Inc, an Oil and Gas production company. She was involved with the company until its sale to Royal Dutch Shell in July 2010.

 

Kim got her start in sports in 2011 after she and her husband Terry purchased the NHL Buffalo Sabres. Kim served on the NHL Board of Governors and assumed the role of President of the Sabres in May 2018. Kim and Terry's sports ownership at the time also extended to the NLL Buffalo Bandits and the AHL Rochester Americans.

 

On October 8, 2014, Kim and Tery realized a long-time dream as they became only the second owners of the NFL Buffalo Bills. Kim served on the NFL's Super Bowl and Major Events Advisory Committee, Business Ventures Committee, and NFL Foundation Committee. In May of 2018, Kim became President, overseeing all of the franchise's business operations., becoming the first female to hold the post of President for both a NHL and NFL team.

 

Kim and Terry have also contributed to the Buffalo community by constructing a multipurpose facility anchored by two NHL-size ice rinks and a Marriott Hotel franchise. The Pegulas through their managed entities, have been key to bringing new business opportunities to Buffalo including multi-year agreements to host the NHL Combine, 2016 and 2026 NHL Draft, 2018 World Junior Championships, 2019 Frozen Four NCAA men's Hockey Tournament, as well as a wide variety of stadium and arena concerts and national and international tournament events at all levels. Kim and Terry have been honored with a number of awards including Business First's Most Influential People, four NYS Emmy Awards for sports content, Buffalo Best Place to Work and the Tank Younger Award for embracing diversity in the NFL.

 

Kim and Terry have also given back to encourage the growth of sports and the many intangible benefits they believe sports creates for individuals, fans and community. In 2010, the Pegulas gave an unprecedented $102 million for the creation of the Pegula Ice Arena at Terry's alma mater Penn State. The facility allowed for Penn Stat's hockey program to become a NCAA Division team and was the final piece for the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference. Kim and Terry, also, gave back to her alma mater, Houghton College, with a gift of $12 million to build the l<err-Pegula Athletic Complex, allowing Houghton

College athletics to become a Division Ill program.

 

In June 2022, Kim suffered a cardiac arrest event in her home which resulted in a braininjury. She currently is gradually recovering under the care of her family and close associates.