William Porter Payne

William Porter "Billy" Payne (born October 13, 1947) was named president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG).

Early Life

Born in Athens, Georgia, Payne received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with honors in political science in 1969 from the University of Georgia as well as his law degree (J.D.) from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1973. While at the University, he was initiated into the Georgia Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He is currently (as of 2006) an investment banker with boutique investment bank, Gleacher Partners, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia.

1996 Olympics

Payne first had the idea of Atlanta hosting the Olympic Games in 1987 and began to bring others to support this vision. He first gained support of Atlanta leaders for this effort, including then-mayor Andrew Young, an ally that helped Payne convince International Olympic Committee members to award Atlanta the games. Payne's plan for the games depended heavily on private support, leading him to convince sponsors to back the games. In September 1990, Atlanta was selected by the IOC to host the 1996 Games, suprising many.

In the wake of the 2002 Winter Olympics bribery scandal in which Salt Lake City bribed IOC members to host the Olympics, allegations that Atlanta organizers bribed members of the IOC to obtain the Olympic Games prompted an inquiry. However, ACOG documents were destroyed prior to a formal investigation and the allegations remain unproven. In his defense, Mr. Payne said "Atlanta's bidding effort included excessive actions, even thought processes, that today seem inappropriate but, at the time, reflected the prevailing practices in the selection process and an extremely competitive environment." After winning the bid, Payne remained as the head of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, serving as the chief administrator to organize the Olympics. He was the first person who led the bid effort and remained to lead the Games.

After the Olympics

On May 5, 2006, Billy Payne replaced Hootie Johnson as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament. As chairman, Payne has already made some adjustments at the Masters, including a new television contract with ESPN that allowed for coverage of the par-3 tournament in 2008.

Payne also serves as the vice-chair of Gleacher Partners, an investment banking firm.

References

* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/events/1996/olympics/storyolympic/payne1.html "ATLANTA BRAVE", Donald Katz, Sports Illustrated, January 8, 1996]
* [http://www.ncaa.org/releases/awards/1996120901AW.HTM NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award Bio]