Secret Meeting With Telluride Ski Resort, CO, Owner Leads to 2 Mayoral Resignations and Telski Lawsuit - SnowBrains

"Martinique 'Marti' Prohaska, the Mayor of Mountain Village, Colorado, and Meehan Fee, the Mayor pro-tem of Telluride, Colorado, flew to Newport Beach, California to meet with Chuck Horning, the maligned billionaire owner of Telluride Ski Resort, with an offer to buy a majority stake in the resort. In the midst of a labor strike putting a strain on the local economy, Prohaska and Fee sought to buy the resort from Horning to alleviate years of tension and outright dispute between Horning and Telluride's community."

"The Colorado Sun reported that Prohaska and Fee represented a group of investors who offered to pay Horning $127.5 million for a 51% stake in the resort. Resort operations would have been controlled by Prohaska and Fee, with Horning staying on with a 29% share and Horning's silent partner, Henry Samueli, retaining a 20% stake."

"Whether a case of poor judgement on the part of Prohaska and Fee, or a trap expertly laid by Horning, the story has shown that Horning is unwilling to relinquish control over the resort, as the mistrust between him and the community deepens."

In late 2025, Martinique Prohaska, Mayor of Mountain Village, and Meehan Fee, Mayor pro-tem of Telluride, traveled to California to meet with Chuck Horning, owner of Telluride Ski Resort. They represented investor groups offering $127.5 million for a 51% stake, with operational control for themselves while Horning retained 29% and silent partner Henry Samueli kept 20%. The mayors claimed to act as private citizens without informing their town councils. Following the failed negotiation, both resigned from their positions and faced lawsuits from Horning. A leaked contract revealed provisions raising ethical concerns, suggesting potential conflicts of interest and actions expected from the towns involved.

Read at SnowBrains