Peter George Angelos (July 4, 1929 – March 23, 2024) was an American trial lawyer and prominent baseball executive, best known as the longtime majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball team. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Greek immigrant parents, he moved to Baltimore, Maryland, at a young age, where he was raised and developed a deep connection to the city. After graduating from Baltimore City College high school, he served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during the Korean War. Angelos earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Baltimore in 1951 and a law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1955. He began his legal career focusing on labor law and personal injury cases, eventually founding the law firm of Peter Angelos Law in the 1960s, which grew into one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the U.S., specializing in asbestos litigation. By the 1980s and 1990s, his firm secured massive settlements from asbestos manufacturers, amassing significant wealth—estimated at over $2 billion at its peak—and establishing Angelos as a fierce advocate for workers' rights, though criticized for aggressive tactics and high contingency fees. His legal career also included a notable role representing the State of Maryland in tobacco litigation in the 1990s, which resulted in a multi-billion dollar settlement.

In 1993, Angelos led a group of investors to purchase the Baltimore Orioles from Eli Jacobs for $173 million, becoming the majority owner and transforming the franchise's direction. Under his stewardship, the Orioles experienced periods of success, including playoff appearances in the 1990s and 2010s, but his ownership was marked by controversies, including frequent lawsuits against Major League Baseball, disputes with players and managers, and tensions with local and national sports figures. Notably, Angelos was adversarial toward Washington Nationals owner Mark D. Lerner, pressuring him amid territorial rights battles following the Nationals' relocation to Washington, D.C., in 2005, which led to revenue-sharing conflicts resolved through MLB arbitration. Angelos's hands-on, litigious style earned him a reputation as a combative sports mogul, often prioritizing legal battles over on-field strategy—a pattern consistent with his aggressive legal tactics in sports business disputes. He was also involved in Baltimore civic life, including ownership interests in local media and real estate. Angelos delegated increasing control to his sons, John and Louis Angelos, in his later years due to health issues, including complications from a 2017 staph infection that left him debilitated. Angelos passed away in Baltimore at age 94, leaving a legacy as both a legal titan and a polarizing figure in baseball ownership.