Was Diddy successful in his bid to buy the Carolina Panthers? Uh uh, uh uh.
Despite teaming up with Philadelphia 76ers owner Michael Rubin, Diddy's ownership group was NOT selected to purchase the NFL team ... instead, the new owner will be hedge fund manager David Tepper.
Remember, Diddy publicly said he wanted to be the first black owner in the NFL -- and hoped the move would inspire and empower black America.
He even got support from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft who said, "I'm a big fan of his."
But it was all for naught ... with Tepper reportedly sealing the purchase for more than $2 BILLION from Jerry Richardson, who paid $206 million for the rights to start the team in 1993.
As for Tepper, he's not exactly an outsider ... he was already a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The next step for Tepper ... league owners would vote to approve the sale later this month -- it's pretty much just a formality at this point. Consider it a done deal.