Regarding sports team ownership, performance on the field or court isn’t always king.
For the ninth straight year, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer — who made his fortune as the former CEO of Microsoft — tops Forbes’ list of the 20 richest owners in American sports derived from the publication’s Forbes 400, which tracks the net worths of the richest people in the United States.
The runner-up for the second consecutive year is Walmart heir Rob Walton, who purchased the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion in June 2022.
Coming in at third is Rocket Mortgage and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who leapfrogged his way into the top three after finishing sixth in 2022’s list. Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera fell precipitously year-over-year from fourth to 14th.
For all the wealth on the list, few Americans crack the world’s list released last April: Ballmer was dethroned from the world’s top spot by Mukesh Ambani, owner of the Mumbai Indians in cricket’s Indian Premier League.
Here is the complete list of America’s top 20 wealthiest sports owners:
| Rank | Owner | Teams | Net Worth |
| 1 | Steve Ballmer | Los Angeles Clippers | $101 billion |
| 2 | Rob Walton | Denver Broncos | $67.4 billion |
| 3 | Dan Gilbert | Cleveland Cavaliers | $21.3 billion |
| 4 | David Tepper | Carolina Panthers | $20.6 billion |
| 5 | Steve Cohen | New York Mets | $19.8 billion |
| 6 | Philip Anschutz | Los Angeles Kings, LA Galaxy | $14.8 billion |
| 7 | Stan Kroenke | Los Angeles Rams, Arsenal FC, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids | $14.6 billion |
| 8 | Jerry Jones | Dallas Cowboys | $14.5 billion |
| 9 | Shahid Khan | Jacksonville Jaguars, Fulham FC | $12.2 billion |
| 10 | Robert Kraft | New England Patriots, New England Revolution | $11.1 billion |
| 11 | Stephen Ross | Miami Dolphins | $10.1 billion |
| 12 | Henry Samueli | Anaheim Ducks | $10 billion |
| 13 | Jimmy Haslam | Cleveland Browns, Columbus Crew, Milwaukee Bucks | $8.7 billion |
| 14 | Robert Pera | Memphis Grizzlies | $8.3 billion |
| 15 (tie) | Tom Gores | Detroit Pistons | $8.1 billion |
| 15 (tie) | Antony Ressler | Atlanta Hawks | $8.1 billion |
| 17 (tie) | Rocco Commisso | ACF Fiorentina | $8 billion |
| 17 (tie) | Tilman Fertitta | Houston Rockets | $8 billion |
| 19 | Arthur Blank | Atlanta Falcons | $7.9 billion |
| 20 | Stephen Bisciotti | Baltimore Ravens | $7.2 billion |
![[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Botafogo owner John Textor inside the stadium before the match during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lumen Field.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/USATSI_26465842_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
![[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 13, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Chelsea FC midfielder Cole Palmer (10) celebrates winning the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/USATSI_26636703-scaled-e1770932227605.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 6, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Jon Rahm in action during the third round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/USATSI_28173562_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Sep 28, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; Team USA's Bryson DeChambeau reacts after hitting his approach on the 15th hole during the singles on the final day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/USATSI_27197957_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
