Steve Kuhn (pickleball)
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Steven Kuhn | |
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| Born | 1969 Minnesota, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Steve Kuhn |
| Education | Harvard University (B.A. in Economics) |
| Occupation | Sports entrepreneur, philanthropist, former hedge fund manager |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | Founder of Major League Pickleball (MLP); Co-founder of DUPR |
Steven “Steve” Kuhn, born 1969, is an American former hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and sports entrepreneur. He is known for founding Major League Pickleball (MLP) in 2021 and the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) system.
Early life and education
Kuhn was born in Minnesota. His father worked as a machinist and carpenter, while his mother was a teacher and homemaker. He attended Harvard University, where he studied economics with a focus on game theory, graduating in 1991.[1]
Financial career
Early Positions
After graduating from Harvard, Kuhn entered the financial services industry, working in fixed income trading and portfolio management. His career included positions at several major firms including Cargill, Citadel, and Goldman Sachs, where he specialized in mortgage-based securities.[2] [3]
Pine River Capital Management
From 2008 until his retirement in 2016, Kuhn served as Partner and Portfolio Manager at Pine River Capital Management.[4] In this role, he managed multi-billion-dollar portfolio focused on mortgage-backed securities. His work during this period was noted in financial publications, including Forbes and Bloomberg Businessweek.[5] [6]
Other Activities
Poker
Kuhn participated in competitive poker tournaments, including cashing in the World Series of Poker Main Event.[7] He won the Poker Night on Wall Street charity tournament, a $50,000 buy in event that was broadcast on Bloomberg and featured other prominent financial industry figures. [8] [9]
Philanthropy
Kuhn serves on the board of the Andy Roddick Foundation and is a member of The Well organization. Through various charitable activities, including poker tournaments, he has raised funds for multiple causes, with particular focus on youth education programs and global water access initiatives.[10]
Pickleball Career
Introduction to the sport
Kuhn began playing pickleball in 2015 after being introduced to the sport by his nephew.[11]
Major League Pickleball
In 2021, Kuhn founded Major League Pickleball in partnership with Margaritaville. The League introduced a team based format and attracted investment from professional athletes including LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Kevin Durant. Under Kuhn's leadership, MLP expanded from 8 teams to 24 teams within 2 years.[12] [13]
He also established Dreamland, a 16-court pickleball facility in Austin, Texas.[14]
DUPR rating system
Kuhn founded and developed the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) system, originally called the Dreamland Universal Pickleball Rating. The system uses a 2.00-8.00 rating scale and has been adopted by pickleball organizations internationally.[15][16]
Other pickleball ventures
Kuhn was founding investor in Bay Pickle, which operates indoor pickleball courts in Hong Kong.[17]
Current Activities
Since stepping down from MLP and DUPR, Kuhn continues to be involved in pickleball related investments and global expansion efforts.
Pickleball Champions League Asia
In 2025, Kuhn launched the Pickleball Champions League Asia (PCL Asia) and serves as the league's founder and chairman. PCL Asia is organized as a club team competition for amateur and semi-professional players, using men's, women's and mixed doubles ties and a group stage pathway that runs through qualifiers. The league's first season finals were held on August 9-10, 2025 at Ramsports Pickleball Stadium in Shenzhen, China.[18][19]
References
- ↑ Condon, Patrick (2019-06-24). "Immigration pushes one-time Minnesota hedge fund hotshot into politics". www.startribune.com. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ Kuhn, Steve. "Steve Kuhn on about.me". about.me. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Steve Kuhn Pickleball Journey: Bio, Career, Net Worth, and 2025 Trends - Pickleballs Play". 2025-04-12. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ↑ Herbst-Bayliss, Svea (2016-04-05). "Pine River fixed income manager Steve Kuhn leaving hedge fund". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ Fisher, Daniel. "Sublime Subprime". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Pine River's Kuhn Sees 'Golden Age' for Mortgage Hedge Funds". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-17. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Steven Kuhn". WSOP.com. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Bloomberg Television to Host $50,000 Buy-In Poker Night on Wall Street Wednesday Night". www.pokernews.com. 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Internet Archive TV NEWS : Search Captions. Borrow Broadcasts". archive.org. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Board of Directors". Andy Roddick Foundation. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ Selkirk TV (2023-01-10). How Major League Pickleball Founder Steve Kuhn Changed Pickleball Forever - Future Of Pickleball. Retrieved 2025-08-16 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Major League Pickleball Launches". Archived from the original on 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ Gregory, Sean (2022-10-04). "LeBron James Could Take Pickleball to The Next Level". TIME. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Dreamland Shuts Its Doors: The End of an Era for MLP's Birthplace". The Dink Pickleball. 2024-12-20. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ↑ "DUPR Blog | The DUPR Origin Story". www.dupr.com. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "Understanding Pickleball Ratings: What DUPR Means". 101 Pickleball. 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ Pickle, Bay. "Game-Changer: Bay Pickle Reveals Visionary Development Plan to Lead Pickleball's Growth in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area in China". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- ↑ "About". Pickleball Champions League ASIA. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ↑ "PCL Asia Championship Finals to launch in Shenzhen". www.eyeshenzhen.com. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
External links
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