Thunder Part Owner Aubrey McClendon Died In A Horrific One-Car Crash After Being Criminally Indicted

Aubrey McClendon
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A part owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder passed away on Thursday less than 24 hours after he was indicted on a violation of antitrust laws.

Aubrey McClendon, former CEO of Chesapeake Energy, was 56 years old. He died in a single-car crash that took place at around 9 a.m. Thursday morning. The Oklahoma City Police Department confirmed his identity on Twitter earlier this afternoon.

McClendon issued a statement yesterday that vehemently denied charges of rigging bids for the purchase of oil and natural gas leases in Northwest Oklahoma, USA Today reports. He left Chesapeake Energy, which owns naming rights to the Thunder’s arena, to found American Energy Partners in 2013.

Oklahoma City Police Captain Paco Balderrama provided details on the horrific and suspicious crash during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Ben Casselman, chief economics writer of fivethirtyeight.com, offered his thoughts on the “larger than life” businessman’s stunning overall impact on the oil industry in a series of must-read tweets.

McClendon owned approximately 20 percent of the Thunder. He was part of the controversial ownership group that moved the franchise from its longtime home of Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Our thoughts are with McClendon’s family, friends, and the entire Thunder organization during this difficult time.

(h/t USA Today)

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