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Written by: Daniel Gleich
Many of the most popular sports teams are owned by notable billionaires and millionaires, from teams in the National Football League and the National Basketball Association to soccer teams around the world.
But who are the richest owners in sports? The research team at Madison Trust looked at some of the richest sports owners in the world to create the following graphic. Take a look to see who came out on top!
Who Are the Richest Sports Owners in the World?
Based on available data, the richest sports team owner in the world is Steve Ballmer. This multi-billionaire, who was the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, is the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. His estimated worth is more than $91 billion, making him one of the top ten richest people in the entire world and the richest NBA owner. Ballmer became the owner of the Clippers in 2014 for a reported price of $2 billion, which is the second highest price for a sports team in North America.
The second sports team owner with the highest net worth is Mukesh Ambani. His net worth is $90.7 billion. He is the owner of Indian cricket team the Mumbai Indians and chairman of Reliance Industries Limited. The team plays in the Indian Premier League and is worth an estimated $155 million.
The third owner on the list is Carlos Slim, who owns Real Oviedo, a soccer team in Spain. Slim’s net worth is estimated to be $78 billion. While the team doesn’t compete in Spain’s top-tier soccer system, their stadium seats more than 30,000 spectators.
The fourth richest sports team owner on the list, who is also the richest NFL owner, is Rob Walton. He has a net worth of $59.8 billion and is the owner of the Denver Broncos. They compete in the NFL in the U.S. and play at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Walton is the oldest son of Sam Walton, who founded the multinational retail chain Walmart in 1962. He purchased the Broncos in 2022 for $4.65 billion.
Next on the list is François Pinault, with a net worth of about $40 billion. Pinault owns Stade Rennais FC, which is a soccer team based in Rennes, France. The team competes in Ligue 1, which is the top professional league in France. He purchased the club in 1998 and completed a complete reconstruction of the stadium.
Sixth on the list is Daniel Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who play in the NBA. Gilbert’s net worth is estimated to be about $30.9 billion. The Cavaliers famously drafted NBA legend LeBron James in 2003.
Coming in at number seven is Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz with an estimated net worth of more than $27 billion. In addition to being the creator of the Red Bull energy drink, he also owns RB Leipzig (a soccer team based in Leipzig, Germany that competes in the Bundesliga), the New York Red Bulls (a soccer team that competes in the U.S.’s Major League Soccer and has its stadium in Harrison, NJ), and Red Bull Racing (a Formula One racing team with an Austrian license and headquarters in the United Kingdom).
Eighth on the list is Mashayoshi Son, who is the owner of a professional Japanese baseball team called the Fukuoaka SoftBank Hawks. He is a Korean-Japanese businessman who is the founder and chairman of Japanese holding company SoftBank and SoftBank Mobile. He is worth more than $21 billion. The SoftBank Hawks compete in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league.
Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets, ranks ninth on the list. He is worth more than $17 billion. The hedge fund manager purchased the Mets (who compete in Major League Baseball) in 2020. As of 2022, the Mets were ranked as the sixth most valuable Major League Baseball team in the United States.
Coming in tenth place is David Tepper, who owns the Carolina Panthers (NFL) and Charlotte FC (Major League Soccer). He has an estimated net worth of $16.7 billion. He is the owner and operator of the hedge fund Appaloosa Management, located in Miami Beach, FL.
The Richest Sports Owners Around the World
| Rank | Name | Team(s) Owned | Net Worth |
| 1 | Steve Ballmer | Los Angeles Clippers (Basketball, United States) | $91,400,000,000 |
| 2 | Mukesh Ambani | Mumbai Indians (Cricket, India) | $90,700,000,000 |
| 3 | Carlos Slim | Real Oviedo (Soccer, Spain) | $78,000,000,000 |
| 4 | Rob Walton | Denver Broncos (Football, United States) | $59,800,000,000 |
| 5 | François Pinault | Stade Rennais FC (Soccer, France) | $40,400,000,000 |
| 6 | Daniel Gilbert | Cleveland Cavaliers (Basketball, United States) | $30,900,000,000 |
| 7 | Dietrich Mateschitz | RB Leipzig (Soccer, Germany) New York Red Bulls (Soccer, United States) Red Bull Racing (Formula 1, England) | $27,400,000,000 |
| 8 | Masayoshi Son | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Baseball, Japan) | $21,300,000,000 |
| 9 | Steve Cohen | New York Mets (Baseball, United States) | $17,400,000,000 |
| 10 | David Tepper | Carolina Panthers (Football, United States) Charlotte FC (Soccer, United States) | $16,700,000,000 |
| 11 | Robert Pera | Memphis Grizzlies (Basketball, United States) | $14,600,000,000 |
| 12 | Joseph Tsai | Brooklyn Nets (Basketball, United States) | $11,600,000,000 |
| 13 | Philip Anschutz | Los Angeles Kings (Hockey, United States) LA Galaxy (Soccer, United States) | $10,900,000,000 |
| 14 | Stan Kroenke | Los Angeles Rams (Football, United States) Colorado Avalanche (Hockey, United States) Denver Nuggets (Basketball, United States) | $10,700,000,000 |
| 15 | Jerry Jones | Dallas Cowboys (Football, United States) | $8,900,000,000 |
| 16 | David Thomson | Winnipeg Jets (Hockey, Canada) | $8,400,000,000 |
| 17 | Hasso Platner | San Jose Sharks (Hockey, United States) | $8,300,000,000 |
| 17 | Dietmar Hopp | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Soccer, Germany) | $8,300,000,000 |
| 19 | Shahid Khan | Jacksonville Jaguars (Football, United States) Fulham Football Club (Soccer, England) | $8,000,000,000 |
| 20 | Zhang Jindong | Inter Milan (Soccer, Italy) | $7,400,000,000 |
| 21 | Rocco Benito Commisso | ACF Fiorentina (Soccer, Italy) New York Cosmos (Soccer, United States) | $7,200,000,000 |
| 22 | Stephen Ross | Miami Dolphins (Football, United States) | $7,000,000,000 |
| 23 | Robert Kraft | New England Patriots (Football, United States) New England Revolution (Soccer, United States) | $6,700,000,000 |
| 23 | Dmitry Rybolovlev | AS Monaco FC (Soccer, France) Cercle Brugge K.S.V. (Soccer, Belgium) | $6,700,000,000 |
| 23 | Micky Arison | Miami Heat (Basketball, United States) | $6,700,000,000 |
| 23 | Terrence Pegula | Buffalo Bills (Football, United States) Buffalo Sabres (Hockey, United States) | $6,700,000,000 |
| 27 | Arthur Blank | Atlanta Falcons (Football, United States) Altanta United (Soccer, United States) | $6,200,000,000 |
| 28 | Tom Gores | Detroit Pistons (Basketball, United States) | $6,000,000,000 |
| 29 | Stephen Bisciotti | Baltimore Ravens (Football, United States) | $5,800,000,000 |
| 30 | Charles Dolan | New York Knicks (Basketball, United States) New York Rangers (Hockey, United States) | $5,600,000,000 |
If you’re interested in increasing your own wealth, a self-directed IRA could be right for you.
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