Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith denies allegations as renewable-energy business venture ends in major legal dispute (Getty)
In Delaware’s Court of Chancery, Kituwah LLC loaned $2.5 million in September 2023 to help fund the project, according to a lawsuit. Smith, who retired from the NFL after the 2004 season, remains the Cowboys’ all-time leading rusher with 18,355 rushing yards. Because the business environment changed, not because he intended to deceive Kituwah, in a statement to The Dallas Morning News on September 15, 2026, Smith said the project failed.
That condition never happened, according to the complaint. “Ultimately, the project could not be completed,” Smith said, according to The Dallas Morning News. Smith also said he “strongly reject[s] any suggestion” that he knowingly deceived Kituwah or engaged in misconduct. Smith said he and his partners entered the venture in good faith and intended to develop a viable business.
The dispute began with Project Exodus, a proposed renewable-energy project between Austin and San Antonio. Kituwah serves as an investment and economic development arm for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Smith has pushed back strongly against the allegations. “That outcome was a loss for everyone involved. He pointed to changes in renewable-energy financing, government policy and available incentives as major challenges for Project Exodus. His latest legal dispute, however, comes from his business career rather than his celebrated time on the football field.