Monday, May 25, 2026

Team Owner Wealth Grows 30% During COVID

  • The pandemic created financial uncertainty for many, but for billionaire owners, pockets deepened.
  • Owners benefited from taxpayers and business ventures outside of sports.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Since March of last year, 64 owners across all four major sports leagues have seen their combined net worths increase from $325 billion to $426 billion.

The news comes after a collaborative study by the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness that tracked the net worth of team owners from March 18, 2020 to Jan. 29, 2021.

Owners of both of this year’s Super Bowl teams were mentioned in the report.

  • The Glazer family, who own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, were listed with a net worth of $1.7 billion.
  • The Hunt family, who own the Kansas City Chiefs, were listed with a net worth of $6.3 billion — a $483 million increase in the past 10 months.

The Glazer family owns business real estate company First Allied Corporation, as well as Premier League giant Manchester United. The Hunt family is involved in the oil and gas business as well as a number of other professional sports teams in more minor capacities.

The financial outlook for leagues themselves is less optimistic.

The NFL could lose as much as $4 billion after the conclusion of this season, per The Wall Street Journal. Last season, the NBA missed its revenue projections by $1.5 billion.

Beyond team owners, results from a separate economic study in December were similar.

Globally, billionaires’ collective net worths reportedly increased by $3.9 trillion in the final nine months of 2020.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for the
Asset Class Newsletter

Get the latest in sports finance, investment, and transaction activity, straight to your inbox once a week.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sportradar Hit With Lawsuit Over Alleged Illegal Gambling Ties

The suit alleges investors were harmed by shady overseas business conduct.

Padres Star Tatis on Hook for Millions After Legal Setback

A judge ruled the Padres star cannot void an arbitrator’s ruling.

Featured Today

Big Money on the Line on Premier League’s Final Day

Arsenal has won the title, but millions are still at stake.
Texas State mascot
May 22, 2026

Mascot-Reveal Videos Are the Newest College Sports Tradition

Student mascot unmasking videos are going mega-viral.
Charlie Pliner and Nikolas Rohrmann
May 22, 2026

How 2 Brown Undergrads Became Sports Dealmakers

An experimental project turned into a permanent course and business deal network.
May 14, 2026

NFL Rivalries Are Made on the Field, Mocked in Schedule Release Videos

Every year, teams find new ways to one-up themselves (and their rivals).
Oct 12, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) takes the field prior to a game against the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Can Travis Kelce Save Six Flags?

The NFL star joined an activist investor in pushing for change.
Oct 5, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees smiles prior to the game against the New York Giants at Caesars Superdome.
October 21, 2025

Drew Brees Flag Football League Sells to PE Amid Youth Boom

Football ‘N’ America operates 24 flag football leagues across the country.
Sep 25, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics lead owner and governor Bill Chisholm speaks during a press conference at Auerbach Center.
October 22, 2025

The NBA’s Expanding Private-Equity Footprint

There is a PE connection of some kind for 20 of 30 teams.
Sponsored

How Microsoft and the Premier League Are Making Fans Feel Closer to the Game

The Premier League reaches fans in 189 countries. Now, with Microsoft, it is making global fandom more personal through AI.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
Jason Belzer
October 17, 2025

College Sports Is ‘Too Big of an Opportunity’

Panelists at the Asset Class summit agreed college sports is the next frontier.
Jon Ledecky
October 17, 2025

Islanders Owner Warns WNBA Against Labor Strife: ‘No Bueno’

Jon Ledecky drew a stark contrast between the two leagues.
Dave Checketts
October 17, 2025

When David Stern Accused Knicks of Circumventing Salary Cap in 1993

The Knicks walked away clean when accused of cap circumvention in the 1990s.