Who Are the Richest MLB Owners?

MLB remains the only major North American pro league without a salary cap, but its owners aren’t hurting for money. Many of them appear on the Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America. 

Still, even among the billionaire class, there are tiers. Sometimes that shows up on the field. Teams like the Dodgers can spend lavishly to retain an edge because their ownership group, led by Mark Walter, can keep pouring money into the organization. (A 25-year, $8.35 billion local media rights deal doesn’t hurt.)

The top four teams by 2026 payroll—the Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, and Blue Jays—are all helmed by some of the richest MLB owners.

Topping the list of richest MLB owners is Steve Cohen of the Mets, worth $23 billion. In 2020, Cohen paid $2.4 billion to become the team’s majority owner, the highest price ever paid for an MLB team. 

Cohen founded S.A.C. Capital Advisors in 1992, building it up to $14 billion in assets under management by 2009. He founded Point72 Asset Management in 2014, which now has $41.5 billion in assets under management.

Second is Rogers Communications of the Blue Jays, owned by a family trust helmed by CEO Edward Rogers III. The company has a market cap of $19.4 billion as of January 2026, and the family itself has an estimated net worth of $9 billion.

Rogers Communications bought an 80% stake in the Blue Jays in 2000 for $110 million ($201.2 million adjusted for inflation) and purchased the team’s home stadium in 2004, renaming it from the SkyDome to Rogers Centre. Rogers III has been the chairman of the Blue Jays since 2015, playing a major role in the team’s strategic direction and hiring of executives.

The Chicago Cubs are owned by the Ricketts family, who round out the top three with a net worth of $8.6 billion. Tom Ricketts is the chairman of the Cubs and led the bid to buy a 95% stake in the team in 2009. He serves on the board of directors alongside his siblings Laura, Pete, and Todd. The family accumulated their wealth through their father, Joe, who is the former CEO and chairman of TD Ameritrade. 

Under the Ricketts family, the Cubs have been to the postseason six times and won the World Series in 2016. The family has invested over $1 billion in modernizing Wrigley Field and renovating the surrounding Wrigleyville area. Another notable achievement during their tenure was partnering with Sinclair Broadcast Group to found Marquee Sports Network, a regional sports network that is the primary broadcaster of the Cubs. 

In fourth is Mark Walter of the Dodgers, whose net worth is more than $7 billion. Walter, the founder and CEO of Guggenheim Partners, formed Guggenheim Baseball Management to purchase the team—along with Dodger Stadium and a 50% stake in real estate owned by the club’s previous owners—for $2.15 billion in 2012. 

Walter and his fellow owners have spent more than $100 million renovating the stadium while putting a winning club on the field; it’s won five National League pennants and three World Series titles since Guggenheim took over. He also purchased a majority stake in the Lakers from Jeanie Buss at a $10 billion valuation and is a part owner of Chelsea F.C.

Rounding out the top five is Detroit Tigers owner Marian Ilitch, who is worth $6.9 billion. Ilitch co-founded Little Caesars Pizza with her late husband, Mike. The lifelong Michigan residents got into sports ownership in 1982, purchasing the Detroit Red Wings for a cool $8 million. Ten years later, Mike Ilitch bought the Tigers from Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan for $85 million. The Tigers are now owned by a family trust.

Ranking the Richest MLB Owners

Here is the entire list of the Richest MLB owners. The data was compiled through Forbes: 

Updated: Jan. 20, 2026

–Griffin Senyek contributed reporting.