From Dirt Poor Korean Orphan, To Billionaire Owner Of The Buffalo Bills: The Inspirational Story Of Kim Pegula

It was Christmas Eve, 1974, when Ralph and Marilyn Kerr received the call that would change their lives, and (eventually) the course of NFL history. The couple had spent nine months going through the process of adopting a child from Korea. Now, just in time for the holidays, their daughter was ready. A five-year-old girl had been abandoned on the streets of Seoul and was desperate for a family.

Wrapped in a too-big winter coat and clutching a small bag with a second pair of shoes – everything she owned in the world – Kim Pegula arrived in New York with no English, no memories of her early childhood, and no idea what the future held.

Today, she is the co-owner of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. Alongside her husband, Terry Pegula, Kim helped turn around a struggling Rust Belt city's sports identity and became one of the most powerful women in professional sports. Hers is the rare, literal rags-to-riches story. And in recent years, that incredible journey has taken another turn—one filled with courage, resilience, and the love of a family carrying her legacy forward.

A New Life in America

Kim's adoptive parents, Ralph and Marilyn Kerr, were born and raised in Canada. They moved to the U.S. after they were married. Ralph worked for the Salvation Army as a youth counselor. The couple was raising their two sons, Ralph Jr. and Gordon. Then, one day, Ralph saw an article in the Rochester Times-Union about a couple who were adopting a child from Korea. He and Marilyn discussed it and thought, why not us?

After arriving in the U.S., Kim was enrolled in school within a month, and by then, she was already speaking fluent English. A quick learner with a quiet strength, she fully embraced her new life. She became a cheerleader for the local youth football team, played bassoon in the school band, and served as a flag girl in the marching band. She didn't dwell on her past or seek out her biological parents. She was an American teenager with a bright future.

The Kerrs moved to the town of Cortland, New York, just before Kim's senior year in high school. Her father had recently completed his PhD at Syracuse University (after years of study in night school) and took a job as a school administrator.

A Chance Encounter

Kim followed her brothers to Houghton College, a Christian liberal arts school in southwestern New York, where she studied broadcast journalism.

During her senior year, Kim and her roommate were preparing for a post-grad adventure working at a fishing camp in Alaska. To save money, they moved into her parents' vacation cottage in Olean, New York, and started looking for jobs.

Fate intervened at a restaurant in town. While filling out job applications, Kim met a man named Terry Pegula, a local entrepreneur in the natural gas industry. He handed her his business card and told her to call if she was ever back in town.

Kim called the following week and left a message, and then pretty much forgot about him. A few weeks later, she graduated from college. After that, she went back to Olean to interview at the local public television station, and out of the blue, Terry called her. They went out a few times, and he offered her a job in communications and marketing at East Resources. Kim called off the Alaska trip.

One of Kim's coups while at East Resources was getting Terry the cover story of the American Express monthly magazine. The 1992 story covered Pegula's fast-rising company, and in it, Terry mentioned that one of his dreams was to own a pro sports team.

Kim and Terry dated for a year before Terry went to Ralph Kerr to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Kim's parents had their reservations. After all, Terry was 18 years older than Kim, divorced, with two children. But Kim felt like she and Terry were meant to be.

The Sale That Changed Everything

In 2010, Terry sold East Resources for $4.7 billion.

In March 2014, the longtime owner of the Buffalo Bills, Ralph Wilson, died. His widow, Mary, was not interested in running or owning the NFL franchise. Terry was well aware of how much the team meant to Western New York, but he had no intention of bidding on the team unless Kim was ready to play a major role in running the franchise. It was too big for Terry to handle on his own, and he admits Kim has a better head for the fiscal and marketing sides of running the team. The Pegulas purchased the Buffalo Bills for a record $1.4 billion in October 2014. That sale became the foundation for Pegula Sports & Entertainment, an empire that today includes the NFL's Buffalo Bills, NHL's Buffalo Sabres, the Rochester Americans, Buffalo Bandits, a country music label, and the HarborCenter complex across from the Sabres' home arena.

And so, Kim stepped fully into the spotlight. She helped stabilize the team, build trust with fans, and became a visible face of ownership in a league dominated by men. Her leadership and hands-on involvement—everything from board meetings to 3 a.m. cookie-baking for coaches—earned her deep respect throughout the NFL.

The Pegulas became Buffalo's first family with the purchase of the Bills. They are regarded as saving the beloved franchise from the likes of other interested buyers such as Jon Bon Jovi, Donald Trump, and others who threatened to move the Bills out of western New York.

Kim feels that this was what she and Terry were meant to do. Her adoptive parents taught her the importance of doing the right thing and giving back. Buffalo is a Rust Belt city that lost half of its population from the first half of the 20^th century to the second half. Kim Pegula is among a handful who are at the forefront of bringing Buffalo back to life.

As soon as Terry and Kim bought the Bills, Kim was asked to sit on the board of the NFL Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of sports, youth football, and community. The committee is chaired by Charlotte Jones, daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

A Devastating Setback

In June 2022, shortly after her 53rd birthday, Kim Pegula suffered a sudden cardiac arrest that caused severe brain trauma. Her daughter, professional tennis star Jessica Pegula, revealed in a powerful essay that Kim now lives with "significant expressive aphasia and memory issues" due to the injury.

Though Kim made a public appearance in July 2024, briefly joining the team for a post-practice huddle, she remains unable to actively participate in the family business.

"It was a big loss," Terry Pegula said in December 2024. "She was always the personal part of it—sending out Christmas cards, making cookies for the coaches. We all miss her, especially I do."

The emotional toll on the family—and the business—has been profound. Terry has since brought in 10 limited partners to the Bills' ownership group, including two women, in part to honor Kim's legacy and influence. He's also encouraging their three daughters to take on larger roles in the organization, hoping they'll carry forward the lessons Kim once taught by example.

Though Kim can no longer speak for the Bills, her presence still echoes through every corner of the franchise.