some have mentioned JR's "shares" or "stock" in DEI. JR is an employee of the privately owned DEI,(owned solely by Theresa). It is not publicly traded and he has no ownership/partnership nor does his sister Kelley.
look for THIS
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gifhttp://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q101/65z13/blackbud3.jpg
here is more; (from http://www.longislandpress.com/?cp=93&show=article&a_id=11885)
"Teresa, Don’t Call It DEI Anymore"
Commentary by
Josh Stewart 05/10/2007 6:51 pm
Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s biggest mistake wasn’t lacking a HANS device that would have protected him from the impact of a wall.
It was lacking a last will and testament that would have protected his children from the impact of his widow.
It is funny, though, how Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaving DEI both originated and concluded with a peculiar quote.
1. “Right now the ball's in his court to decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality.”
2. “While we are very disappointed that Dale Jr. has chosen to leave the family business, we remain excited about our company’s future.”
At least you can say that Teresa Earnhardt is consistent. To start the turf war with Dale Jr., a subtle shot about his commitment. Following Junior’s decision to leave DEI in search of greener pastures, a veiled salvo about him bailing out on kin.
What’s next, a negative critique of his new beard?
To try to make sense of Dale Sr.’s widow in the preceding months has been challenging, to say the least. Being a NASCAR driver is being a public personality. And for Junior, staying in the “family business” would have involved writing Teresa a check for tens of millions of dollars to have any say in how the “family business” was run.
The only “family business” I can think of where people are held up for cash is the Mafia, so excuse Dale Jr. if he didn’t feel all warm and fuzzy at that prospect.
Let’s face facts: Teresa did everything she could to force Junior out of the company, and succeeded, even though it very well may cause the empire to implode.
That’s her choice, and I’m done trying to figure out what the motivation was. What is pretty apparent is that she has gone against her late husband’s wishes—he built DEI for his children—and therefore has forfeited, ethically if not legally, the right of using his name to do business.
The company name Dale Earnhardt, Inc. should be changed. Call it “Teresa Inc.” Or “Max Siegel’s Big Mistake, Ltd.” Or maybe, “Hey, We’ve Still Got Paul Menard, LLC.”
Teresa won’t do this willingly, because without Dale Jr. to sell, all she has left is Dale Sr.’s ghost. Only the fans can intercede.
No. 3 lovers, you know all those bomber jackets and T-shirts and bandanas and thermals and beer coolers and shot glasses and boxer shorts and sunglasses and bird feeders (yes, just found bird feeders online) that you’ve been buying as a tip of the cap to Dale Sr.’s legacy?
Stop! Now! Those purchases have made the focal point of Teresa’s day merchandising rather than machinery. Enjoy what you have, but cut off this cash flow at once. Then, simply refuse to have anything to do with sponsors who either stay or come in while the company is named DEI.
This isn’t just some cockeyed scheme that has no chance of working. Earnhardt Nation is the most passionate faction in all of sports (we just saw as much at Talladega, even if it wasn’t exactly a shining moment) and could pull this off.
It may seem like an unusual tack considering that Junior wished DEI success in the future. And he surely means it, because to wish for anything different would feel like an insult to his dad.
But it doesn’t matter. As great a marketer as Earnhardt Sr. was, he was more about winning championships than selling coffee mugs.
Without a passion for winning, DEI died on Thursday anyway. Some pressure from the public would only make it official.
You can contact Josh Stewart at
[email protected].