10 Richest Sports Team Owners
According to Forbes, there are now over 70 billionaires who own at least one team in a major sports league around the world. In todays society it is hard not to associate money with sport. It is becoming more and more frequent that wealthy billionaires are investing in franchises across the globe.
Like all rich lists, this one changes every year, this article started out in 2018 but as it grew and new names entered, we increased it to 15. This list does not include VC firms or sovereign wealth funds which have recently bought some of the European football clubs
As at October 2021, with a combine net worth of nearly $500 billion, we bring you the 15 Richest Sports Team Owners in the world today –
15. Stephen Ross
Net worth – $8 B
Ross is an American real estate developer, philanthropist and sports team owner. Ross is the chairman and majority owner of The Related Companies, a global real estate development firm he founded in 1972. He now owns 95% stake of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.
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14. Jerry Jones
Net Worth 8.7 B
NFL veteran Jones bought The Dallas Cowboys for $140 million in 1989, the team has exponentially to become the most valuable sport franchise on the planet, worth over $5.5 billion.
Jones made gis fortune through an oil and gas exploration, and is one of the few owners in sports to take on general manager responsibilities of his team.
13. Hasso Plattner
Net Worth $8.9 B
Plattner has owned the San Jose Sharks since 2010, his billions in wealth are from SAP, a software company he is co founder of. He also owns the Fancourt Golf Estate.
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12. Stan Kroenke
Net worth – $10.7 B
Kroenke made his billions from real estate before investing his money into all kinds of sports. He is the owner of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League and the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. He also owns Premier League team Arsenal FC in England.
The LA Rams won the 2022 Super Bowl which will no doubt help!
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11. Joseph Tsai
Net Worth 11.8 B
Joseph Tsai purchased an initial stake in The Brooklyn Nets in 2017 and in 2019 he bought Mikheal Prokhorovtook’s controlling stake making him the owner of the team. The price of $2.35 billion was the highest amount ever paid for a sports franchise at the time..
Tsai is the co-founder and executive vice-chairman of the Chinese multinational technology company Alibaba Group.
10. Philip Anschutz
Net worth – $12.0 B
As the owner of the Los Angeles Kings, it’s fitting that Philip Anschutz is the wealthiest team owner in the National Hockey League. Anschutz bought out his father’s drilling company, Circle A Drilling, in 1961 and earned large returns in Wyoming. Before his sports investments, Philip invested in stocks, real estate and railroads. He is also the owner of LA Galaxy soccer team of the MLS.
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9. David Tepper
Net Worth $14.5 B
Tepper previously owned 5% of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but had to sell his shares when he bought The Carolina Panthers in 2018 for an NFL record of $2.275 billion. He also owns the Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer
Tepper made his fortune through Appaloosa Management, a global hedge fund that he owns.
8. Roman Abramovich
Net Worth $14.9 B
Russian / Isreali businessman Roman Abramovich is famous for buying Premier League club Chelsea in 2003, he has invested heavily in the club over the year to turn them into a top tier European team.
He made his fortune in the oil and gas industries.
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7. Steve Cohen
Net Worth $16 B
Cohen is the newest billionaire on the list after he bought The New York Mets for $2.42 billion in September 2020.
Cohen is a hedge fund manager and lifelong Mets fan who is worth an estimated $16 billion, according to Forbes.
6. Robert Pera
Net Worth $18.3 B
Pera became the owner of basketball team The Memphis Grizzlies in October 2012. He is of is the founder of Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. a global communications technology company that Pera took public in 2011.
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5. Dietrich Mateschitz
Net worth – $26.9 B
He is co-founder of the Red Bull energy drink company, and holds 49% of the company’s shares. In football, his main concerns are Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg and MLS side New York Red Bulls.
4. François Pinault & family
Net Worth 42.3 B
French billionaire businessman Pinault is founder of the luxury group Kering and the investment company Artémis. Artemis owns Stade Rennais, a French professional football club based in Rennes, Brittany.
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3. Daniel Gilbert
Net Worth 51.9 B
Gilbert, an American businessman, investor and philanthropist, is the co-founder of Quicken Loans, founder of Rock Ventures, and owner of nearly all Cleveland’s sports franchises! He owns NBA team Cleveland Cavaliers, NHL Cleveland Monsters, and the NBA G League’s Cleveland Charge.
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2. Steve Ballmer
Net worth – $68.7 B
Originally hired by Bill Gates in the 1980’s, Ballmer went on to be CEO of Microsoft in 2000. He got involved in team ownership when he bought the Los Angeles Clippers for a then-record $2 billion in 2014
Ballmer’s net worth has increased from $41.2 billion in 2014 to $76.3 since buying the team.
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1. Mukesh Ambani
Net worth – $84.5 B
Mukesh Ambani is richest sports team owner in the world as of 2021. Ambani is an Indian business magnate who is the chairman, managing director and largest shareholder of Reliance Industries Limited. He owns the Indian Cricket Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians which he obtained in 2008.
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