Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) walks off the field after an overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Travis Kelce's $200M Investment Scrutinized as Victim's Family Asks 'Could This Have Been Prevented' After Tragic Accident 1
Travis Kelce, 37, is having a solid 14th NFL season this year as the Kansas City Chiefs extended their winning streak to five after securing a convincing 22-6 victory over the winless Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Kelce caught four of five targets for 53 yards, including a 24-yard catch-and-run. His wife, Taylor Swift, watched the game with Caitlin Clark from a private suite.
However, a recent fatal accident involving a 42-year-old father at an amusement park has put Kelce’s business dealings under intense public scrutiny. Six Flags Over Georgia reopened on Friday without the ride involved, as the victim’s family publicly questioned whether the death could have been prevented.
Travis Kelce’s $200M Six Flags investment faces fresh scrutiny
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died Monday on the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Four juveniles were injured in the incident. In response, Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar coasters across six of its parks as a safety precaution.
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Oct 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) walks off the field after a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The park reopened that Friday for its annual Fright Fest, but Goliath, a 200-foot hypercoaster that reaches speeds of up to 70 mph, remained shut under state safety rules.
Georgia’s Insurance and Safety Commissioner’s Office stated that Goliath’s most recent seasonal inspection on March 16 found zero violations. However, CNN later reported that an earlier maintenance log from this year noted the ride’s bushings were due for replacement.
Days after the incident, Kariem’s brother-in-law, Joshua Nelson, spoke to local news station WSB-TV. “A large part of me does believe, you know it was a freak accident, but the other part of me, you know, questions was could this have been prevented?” Nelson said.
He also shared what his daughter, who was sitting directly beside Kariem, witnessed on the ride: “She said he fainted or passed, her words were ‘he passed out’ … and she said it went up again and his, his latch, I guess, snapped or came, came loose and he fell.”
Kelce partnered with the activist hedge fund JANA Partners in Oct. 2025 to buy a 9% stake in Six Flags Entertainment for $200 million. At the time, Kelce stated he wanted to help make the parks special for the next generation. Six Flags named him a brand ambassador in March, but financial problems grew quickly. By September, JANA was publicly pushing Six Flags to sell the company.
Now, it faces massive legal trouble. The law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is investigating the company for securities fraud. Investors want to know if corporate executives lied about safety and maintenance protocols before a recent fatal accident caused Six Flags stock to drop 14.4%. While this investigation targets corporate leadership and does not name Kelce, other lawsuits are piling up. According to The Independent, three people have sued the company after suffering severe brain injuries on a roller coaster at a California park.
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