Wednesday December 6, 2023

The 20 Richest American Sports Team Owners for 2023

  • For the ninth straight year, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer tops Forbes’ list of the 20 wealthiest owners in American sports.
  • Denver Broncos owner Rob Walton and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert round out the top three.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer stands court side before the game against the Golden State Warriors Chase Center.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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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:

RankOwnerTeamsNet Worth
1Steve BallmerLos Angeles Clippers$101 billion
2Rob WaltonDenver Broncos$67.4 billion
3Dan GilbertCleveland Cavaliers$21.3 billion
4David TepperCarolina Panthers$20.6 billion
5Steve CohenNew York Mets$19.8 billion
6Philip AnschutzLos Angeles Kings, LA Galaxy$14.8 billion
7Stan KroenkeLos Angeles Rams, Arsenal FC, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids$14.6 billion
8Jerry JonesDallas Cowboys$14.5 billion
9Shahid KhanJacksonville Jaguars, Fulham FC$12.2 billion
10Robert KraftNew England Patriots, New England Revolution$11.1 billion
11Stephen RossMiami Dolphins$10.1 billion
12Henry SamueliAnaheim Ducks$10 billion
13Jimmy HaslamCleveland Browns, Columbus Crew, Milwaukee Bucks$8.7 billion
14Robert PeraMemphis Grizzlies$8.3 billion
15 (tie)Tom GoresDetroit Pistons$8.1 billion
15 (tie)Antony ResslerAtlanta Hawks$8.1 billion
17 (tie)Rocco CommissoACF Fiorentina$8 billion
17 (tie)Tilman FertittaHouston Rockets$8 billion
19Arthur BlankAtlanta Falcons$7.9 billion
20Stephen BisciottiBaltimore Ravens$7.2 billion
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