Who are the richest NFL owners?

NFL owners have come to symbolize a similar dominance in stature that the NFL embodies when compared to other major U.S. sports. When the average NFL franchise is worth $5.7 billion, it requires someone of extraordinary means to gain ownership into an exclusive (hierarchy). 

Even with private equity entering the fray, and capped at a maximum of 10% minority stakes for now, NFL owners tend to belong to a small class of 813 billionaires, according to Forbes. 

The top 10 richest NFL owners have an average net worth of $24.49 billion. Eight of them are among the richest sports team owners in the U.S. 

Rob Walton and family, owners of the Broncos, tower above other NFL owners at $113.2 billion. His net worth is part of the Walton family’s fortunes, who earned most of their wealth through ownership of retail giant Walmart. 

Walton became chairman of the board of directors in 1992, and until he retired in 2015, he helped Walmart achieve a 167% increase in its market cap. 

In 2022, he led a group to purchase the Broncos for $4.7 billion and transferred control to his son-in-law, Greg Penner, in 2023. Since the purchase, the team’s value has risen to $5.5 billion.

Second is David Tepper, who owns the Panthers and has a net worth of $21.3 billion. Tepper bought the team in 2018 for a then-record $2.2 billion. He also owns MLS club Charlotte FC, which became an expansion team in 2019. 

Tepper made most of his wealth through Apaloosa Management, a global hedge fund he founded in 1993 and has $17 billion in assets under management. 

Coming in third is the owner of the Dolphins, Stephen Ross, with a net worth of $18.4 billion. His real estate firm, Related Companies, has managed or acquired over $60 billion worth of properties worldwide. 

Ross increased the billion he invested in 2008 and 2009 when buying majority stakes in the Dolphins to its current valuation of $6.1 billion. 

Jerry Jones, perhaps the most visible NFL owner of the Cowboys, just cracks the top five. His $16.6 billion net worth is close to $2 billion less than Stan Kroenke of the Rams in fourth. The Cowboys remain the most valuable team in sports, worth $10.1 billion.

Ranking the Richest NFL Owners

Here is the entire list of the top 10 richest NFL owners. The data was compiled by Forbes, Sportico, and Companies Market Cap.