Carl R. Pohlad, a son of a railroad brakeman who grew up to become one of the richest men in America and the forceful owner of the Minnesota Twins, died on Monday at his home in Edina, Minn. He was 93.

His death was announced by his family.

Until he bought the Twins in 1984, Mr. Pohlad had kept a low profile while building a fortune in banking, financial services, soft-drink bottling, airlines and real estate. But the purchase thrust him into the spotlight. At first, he was hailed as the savior of a failing franchise that was on the verge of moving to Florida. Later, he was seen by many fans as a tightfisted villain eager to disband the team to recoup his investment.

Mr. Pohlad’s estimated net worth of $3.6 billion placed him No. 102 on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans this year. But he was already a very wealthy man when he bought the Twins from Calvin Griffith and his partners for close to $44 million. At the time, it was the second-highest price ever paid for a major league franchise.

The Twins flourished after the sale, winning the World Series in 1987 against the favored St. Louis Cardinals and again in 1991 in a memorable seven-game series against the Atlanta Braves. Mr. Pohlad received much of the credit, praised for his commitment to re-signing the star players Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek.