Wealthy Sports Franchise Owners Who've Made Excellent Investments!
David Letterman has a net worth of $400 million, thanks to his years hosting a nighttime talk show. His production company also helped him amass a huge net worth, and he sank some of it into Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which competes in the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans series.
Bill Murray has an estimated net worth of $180 million, which is a fortune but far from the highest net worth on this list. He is one of the most beloved names in comedy, with classics such as Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Stripes and Ghostbusters among his credits.Murray is also a noted Chicago-area sports fan, rooting for the Cubs and Xavier University. When it comes to sports, he put his money into baseball teams that play in the minor leagues. He currently owns four different minor league teams and has invested in several more.
Drew Carey
Ever since The Drew Carey Show hit the airwaves, the comedian made no bones about his fandom for Cleveland sports. As an Indians and Browns fan, Carey shocked fans by using some of his net worth of $165 million to purchase a stake in a team halfway across the country.
Carey owns a significant stake in the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer. MLS is a men's professional soccer league, and the Sounders are typically among the best-performing franchises in the league. Perhaps some of their success comes from Carey's magic touch.
Stan Kroenke
Stan Kroenke is a man who knows how to make money, which translates well to turning sports franchises into sources of additional personal net worth. He currently owns the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League and the Arsenal of the Premier League in England.
Kroenke made a killing in real estate, and he is married to an heir to the Walmart fortune. His personal net worth of $8.2 billion means that he can buy virtually any franchise he wants and root for any team that strikes his fancy.
Jeanie Buss
Jeanie Buss is the daughter of the late Jerry Buss, a former chemist who purchased the Los Angeles Lakers in 1977 after becoming massively wealthy from a real estate boom. When the elder Buss passed, he left an estimated $500 million of his fortune to Jeanie, who assumed control of the Lakers alongside her brother, Jim.
Jeanie has become the face of the Lakers. The franchise got off to a rocky start under her watch, but they are now among the best teams in the league, due in part to the talents of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Hal Steinbrenner
There is no name more known, more polarizing or more fear-inducing in baseball circles than Steinbrenner. George was the patriarch of the Steinbrenner baseball legacy, as the uncompromising owner of the Yankees who was satirized in Seinfeld and known to sports fans and casual viewers alike.
Steinbrenner was famous for his legendary temper, but also for his fierce loyalty. When he died in 2010 of a heart attack, his son Harold (known as Hal) had to take over the team without much warning. He had huge shoes to fill and has received mixed reviews from a fanbase with high standards.
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw is in the pantheon of modern country music artists, and he has carved out a respectable career in Hollywood with roles in movies like Friday Night Lights and The Blindside. McGraw is an unabashed sports fan (as his movie choices indicate), and he can also include sports franchise owner on his list of achievements.
With an estimated net worth of $85 million ($165 million when combined with his wife Faith Hill's net worth), McGraw isn’t quite ready for big league ownership, but he owns a stake in the Nashville Kats in the Arena Football League. Football is football, right, Tim?
Jeffrey Lurie
Philadelphia Eagles fans will be forever indebted to Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the franchise who brought the first championship to Philly. By defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, the Eagles validated all the cash that Lurie has sunk into the franchise over the years.
To be fair, he has plenty of money to sink into the Eagles, as a man with a net worth of $3 billion. He has built a media empire by producing films such as The Italian Job and The Blind Side.
Gene Simmons
The man with the most famous tongue in the world is also an avid sports fan. Worth a reported $400 million, Simmons is known as The Demon to his fans, but to the players on the L.A. KISS Arena Football team, Simmons is known simply as The Owner.
If you're wondering how Simmons made $400 million, obviously his band is one source, but he also owns a film production company called Erebus Pictures. With that sort of money, you might think Simmons would prefer to own part of an NFL franchise, but he probably likes having the entire pie to himself.
Shaquille O'Neal
Many know him simply as Shaq, but Shaquille O'Neal is an accomplished businessman with obvious connections to sports. While he has dabbled in film (Shazam, anyone?) and even tried his hand at hip-hop, Shaq finds himself coming back to sports time and again, whether as an analyst on TNT or as part-owner of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.
Shaq followed in the footsteps of Michael Jordan as a largely behind-the-scenes owner of an NBA franchise, although he isn't quite at MJ's level of being the sole owner. There's no word on how involved Shaq is as an owner, either.
Arthur Blank
Arthur Blank became an incredibly wealthy man by supplying Americans with ceiling fans, plungers, palm trees, vacuum cleaners and everything in between. In other words, Blank is the man who founded The Home Depot. Now worth an estimated $7.2 billion, he is also the owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL franchise and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer.
Blank is known as one of the more involved owners in the National Football League. He can often be seen stalking the sidelines during games (as if coaching and playing in the NFL doesn’t come with enough pressure).
Jimmy Buffett
Did you know that Mr. Margaritaville is worth a reported $600 million? Sure, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Fins and Volcano are some massive hits, but $600 million? That should buy Jimmy a heck of a lot of cheeseburgers and a giant slice of paradise!
With his brand of Margaritaville restaurants, his own beer (Landshark) and his impressive catalog of hits, Jimmy had all the dough he needed to buy a sports franchise. Actually, he bought part of a sports franchise, to be exact. That franchise is the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, which is on-brand for the tropically-minded Buffett.
Paul Allen
Paul Allen is no longer with us (RIP), but he was once one of the wealthiest sports franchise owners alive. With $20.3 billion to his name, he was also one of the richest people alive, sports franchise or no sports franchise. As an owner, he took the time to get to know the players he paid.
Allen’s teams were diverse but all located in the Pacific Northwest. He owned the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association, the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and Seattle FC of the MLS, giving him a virtual monopoly on Seattle sports.
Will Ferrell
The funnyman of his generation, Will Ferrell has no shortage of comedy hits under his belt, from Old School and Stepbrothers to Wedding Crashers and Elf. It turns out that being immensely funny is a lucrative talent, and Ferrell has cashed in on it.
With an estimated net worth of $160 million, Ferrell decided to indulge his inner sports fan by purchasing a stake in Los Angeles F.C., the newest professional soccer franchise to grace the City of Angels. Who knew that Frank the Tank was such a big soccer fan? He must be in it for the streaking.
Michael Jordan
An athlete like Michael Jordan doesn't simply retire and walk away from sports. With a legendary competitive itch that led him to take otherwise meaningless rounds of golf as seriously as an NBA Finals game, there was zero chance that Jordan was going to stay away from basketball completely after retiring as a player.
Fortunately, his massive net worth of $1.6 billion, built largely from his Jordan brand sneakers and apparel, allowed him to purchase an NBA franchise of his own:
David Letterman has a net worth of $400 million, thanks to his years hosting a nighttime talk show. His production company also helped him amass a huge net worth, and he sank some of it into Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which competes in the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans series.
Bill Murray has an estimated net worth of $180 million, which is a fortune but far from the highest net worth on this list. He is one of the most beloved names in comedy, with classics such as Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Stripes and Ghostbusters among his credits.Murray is also a noted Chicago-area sports fan, rooting for the Cubs and Xavier University. When it comes to sports, he put his money into baseball teams that play in the minor leagues. He currently owns four different minor league teams and has invested in several more.
Drew Carey
Ever since The Drew Carey Show hit the airwaves, the comedian made no bones about his fandom for Cleveland sports. As an Indians and Browns fan, Carey shocked fans by using some of his net worth of $165 million to purchase a stake in a team halfway across the country.
Carey owns a significant stake in the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer. MLS is a men's professional soccer league, and the Sounders are typically among the best-performing franchises in the league. Perhaps some of their success comes from Carey's magic touch.
Stan Kroenke
Stan Kroenke is a man who knows how to make money, which translates well to turning sports franchises into sources of additional personal net worth. He currently owns the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League and the Arsenal of the Premier League in England.
Kroenke made a killing in real estate, and he is married to an heir to the Walmart fortune. His personal net worth of $8.2 billion means that he can buy virtually any franchise he wants and root for any team that strikes his fancy.
Jeanie Buss
Jeanie Buss is the daughter of the late Jerry Buss, a former chemist who purchased the Los Angeles Lakers in 1977 after becoming massively wealthy from a real estate boom. When the elder Buss passed, he left an estimated $500 million of his fortune to Jeanie, who assumed control of the Lakers alongside her brother, Jim.
Jeanie has become the face of the Lakers. The franchise got off to a rocky start under her watch, but they are now among the best teams in the league, due in part to the talents of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Hal Steinbrenner
There is no name more known, more polarizing or more fear-inducing in baseball circles than Steinbrenner. George was the patriarch of the Steinbrenner baseball legacy, as the uncompromising owner of the Yankees who was satirized in Seinfeld and known to sports fans and casual viewers alike.
Steinbrenner was famous for his legendary temper, but also for his fierce loyalty. When he died in 2010 of a heart attack, his son Harold (known as Hal) had to take over the team without much warning. He had huge shoes to fill and has received mixed reviews from a fanbase with high standards.
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw is in the pantheon of modern country music artists, and he has carved out a respectable career in Hollywood with roles in movies like Friday Night Lights and The Blindside. McGraw is an unabashed sports fan (as his movie choices indicate), and he can also include sports franchise owner on his list of achievements.
With an estimated net worth of $85 million ($165 million when combined with his wife Faith Hill's net worth), McGraw isn’t quite ready for big league ownership, but he owns a stake in the Nashville Kats in the Arena Football League. Football is football, right, Tim?
Jeffrey Lurie
Philadelphia Eagles fans will be forever indebted to Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the franchise who brought the first championship to Philly. By defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, the Eagles validated all the cash that Lurie has sunk into the franchise over the years.
To be fair, he has plenty of money to sink into the Eagles, as a man with a net worth of $3 billion. He has built a media empire by producing films such as The Italian Job and The Blind Side.
Gene Simmons
The man with the most famous tongue in the world is also an avid sports fan. Worth a reported $400 million, Simmons is known as The Demon to his fans, but to the players on the L.A. KISS Arena Football team, Simmons is known simply as The Owner.
If you're wondering how Simmons made $400 million, obviously his band is one source, but he also owns a film production company called Erebus Pictures. With that sort of money, you might think Simmons would prefer to own part of an NFL franchise, but he probably likes having the entire pie to himself.
Shaquille O'Neal
Many know him simply as Shaq, but Shaquille O'Neal is an accomplished businessman with obvious connections to sports. While he has dabbled in film (Shazam, anyone?) and even tried his hand at hip-hop, Shaq finds himself coming back to sports time and again, whether as an analyst on TNT or as part-owner of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.
Shaq followed in the footsteps of Michael Jordan as a largely behind-the-scenes owner of an NBA franchise, although he isn't quite at MJ's level of being the sole owner. There's no word on how involved Shaq is as an owner, either.
Arthur Blank
Arthur Blank became an incredibly wealthy man by supplying Americans with ceiling fans, plungers, palm trees, vacuum cleaners and everything in between. In other words, Blank is the man who founded The Home Depot. Now worth an estimated $7.2 billion, he is also the owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL franchise and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer.
Blank is known as one of the more involved owners in the National Football League. He can often be seen stalking the sidelines during games (as if coaching and playing in the NFL doesn’t come with enough pressure).
Jimmy Buffett
Did you know that Mr. Margaritaville is worth a reported $600 million? Sure, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Fins and Volcano are some massive hits, but $600 million? That should buy Jimmy a heck of a lot of cheeseburgers and a giant slice of paradise!
With his brand of Margaritaville restaurants, his own beer (Landshark) and his impressive catalog of hits, Jimmy had all the dough he needed to buy a sports franchise. Actually, he bought part of a sports franchise, to be exact. That franchise is the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, which is on-brand for the tropically-minded Buffett.
Paul Allen
Paul Allen is no longer with us (RIP), but he was once one of the wealthiest sports franchise owners alive. With $20.3 billion to his name, he was also one of the richest people alive, sports franchise or no sports franchise. As an owner, he took the time to get to know the players he paid.
Allen’s teams were diverse but all located in the Pacific Northwest. He owned the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association, the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and Seattle FC of the MLS, giving him a virtual monopoly on Seattle sports.
Will Ferrell
The funnyman of his generation, Will Ferrell has no shortage of comedy hits under his belt, from Old School and Stepbrothers to Wedding Crashers and Elf. It turns out that being immensely funny is a lucrative talent, and Ferrell has cashed in on it.
With an estimated net worth of $160 million, Ferrell decided to indulge his inner sports fan by purchasing a stake in Los Angeles F.C., the newest professional soccer franchise to grace the City of Angels. Who knew that Frank the Tank was such a big soccer fan? He must be in it for the streaking.
Michael Jordan
An athlete like Michael Jordan doesn't simply retire and walk away from sports. With a legendary competitive itch that led him to take otherwise meaningless rounds of golf as seriously as an NBA Finals game, there was zero chance that Jordan was going to stay away from basketball completely after retiring as a player.
Fortunately, his massive net worth of $1.6 billion, built largely from his Jordan brand sneakers and apparel, allowed him to purchase an NBA franchise of his own:
