Richest Owners In Major US Sports Leagues And How They Made Their Fortunes

When you’re talking about someone being "rich" it can mean a lot of different things. You could be "owns a vacation home" rich. Then, above that, “has a private jet” rich. And then, about 10 levels above that, you have “owns a major U.S. sports team” rich. 

The average NFL owner has a net worth of more than $5 billion. But that’s just chump change compared to NBA owners, who have an average net worth of more than $15 billion, according to Fortune.com.

Here are the richest owners from every major U.S. sports league (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL). 

NHL: Dave Thomson

Dave Thomson is a Canadian media magnate with a net worth of more than $50 billion according to Forbes. One of Thomson’s many investments is the Winnipeg Jets, currently worth around $700 million according to Statista. 

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MLB: Steve Cohen 

Steve Cohen is the founder of the Point72 hedge fund and has a net worth north of $15 billion according to Forbes. Cohen also owns the New York Mets, a franchise worth about $3 billion according to Statista.

NFL: Walton/Penner Family

In 2022 the Walton-Penner family, heirs to the Walmart fortune, bought the Denver Broncos. Rob Walton currently has a net worth of more than $60 billion, according to Forbes.

NBA: Steve Ballmer

Does it surprise anyone that the richest person on the list is a tech billionaire? Ballmer was the CEO of Microsoft for more than 10 years and has a net worth that surpasses $100 billion, according to Forbes. Ballmer also owns the Los Angeles Clippers, an NBA club worth more than $4 billion. This makes Ballmer the richest sports owner in the United States. 

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