While her husband's net worth may have come from his grandfather's movie business, billionaire Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie's wife, Tina Lai, had to work for her success. The youngest of eight children, Tina and her family fled Vietnam shortly after her birth in 1975 and settled in Philadelphia. With a new lease on life, the Lai family set out to make a name for themselves in the city of Brotherly Love and live out the American Dream.
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Now, not only have Lai's string of West Philadelphia restaurants become Philly staples, Tina and her husband are hoping to bring another Super Bowl parade back home after Super Bowl LVII.
Jeffrey Lurie Met Tina Lai After Divorcing His First Wife Christina
Left: Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images, RIght:Photo By Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Jeff Lurie purchased his NFL franchise in 1994 from Norman Braman thanks to his success in the film industry. In 1992, one of Lurie's films, "I Love You To Death," happened to be co-produced by Christian Weiss. That film wouldn't be their only collaboration as the movie moguls were married soon after. Two years after that, Christina Weiss Lurie was the first lady of Philadelphia football. The pair also have two children, their daughter Milena, and son, Julian Lurie. But things soured over the years as the couple grew apart and they filed for divorce in 2012.
"They never should have married," said Dan Kaplan, the same lawyer who helped him buy the Eagles and settle his divorce. "Jeffrey really needed a much more placid, gentle, loving human being. Because he had so much pain as a child." Christina Lurie was known to be a demanding and controlling person, according to those with knowledge of the relationship.
With his ex-wife in the rearview mirror, Lurie went on a bit of spiritual walkabout, which led him to Vietnam Restaurant, where he met Tina. The General Cinema Corporation honcho (the company was founded by his grandfather Philip Smith) was immediately wrapped up in a whirlwind Hollywood romance, but not the kind you'd find in one of his Academy Award-winning movies.
In fact, Lurie's production company, Chestnut Hill Productions, named for the area the Boston University and Clark university graduate lived in Massachusetts, has produced two Oscar winners "Inside Job" and "Inocente" for Best Documentary and Best Documentary Short. It's almost a shame the Eagles didn't play in Super Bowl LII in Los Angeles. We're sure Lurie would have rolled out the red carpet. After all, to make it on the Forbes list of the richest people in the world, it's gonna take more than leading an NFL team to victory.
After a short courtship, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League and his bride were married in 2013 at a private ceremony in South Carolina.
Tina Lai Lurie's Restaurant Success
Photo by Tom Briglia/Getty Images
Before she and her husband were giving Eagles fans an NFC Championship-winning team, Tina was helping her brother Benny run three restaurants. The Vietnam Cafe, which serves Vietnamese food, is located in Chinatown in Philly. The family also owns the Fu-Wah Deli in West Philadelphia, where Benny perfected his Banh Mi.
Since marrying an American football owner, Tina could've easily opened up restaurants in New York, Las Vegas or even in Southeast Asia. However, over the last ten years, it's clear that the Lurie's are investing in Philadelphia and not just at Lincoln Financial Field.
