Paul Allen
Net Worth: $20.4 billion Owns: Seattle Seahawks (NFL) The man who co-founded Microsoft, but doesn’t get as much airtime as Bill Gates, is next up on our list. Paul Allen was an extremely wealthy businessman, but also put time into his philanthropy. Sadly, he passed away in 2018 when his cancer came back and finally claimed his life. His family now shares in the $20.4 billion that he left behind.
Onto sport, Allen had a thing for sports clubs – he owned (and has since been passed to his family) Seattle FC and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. At one stage he also owned the NBA Trail Blazers! At the time of his death, he was within the top-fifty wealthiest people in the world.
Michael Jordan
Net Worth: $1.9 billion Owns: Charlotte Hornets (NBA) There are few names more iconic than that of Michael Jordan. The NBA superstar is more than just a superstar – he’s a living legend. The pro basketballer rose to astronomical fame as the MVP of the Chicago Bulls before he hung up his Jordans in 2003.
It seems that basketball was going to be with Jordan for life though, when he purchased the majority share of the Charlotte Hornets for a cool $175 million back in 2010. The deal worked out well for Jordan because these days the Hornets are worth over $1 billion! Regardless of whether Jordan can run the club, there’s certainly a lot of star power in having an NBA all-star athlete as the face!
Joshua Harris
Net Worth: $4.3 billion Owns: Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Private equity investor Joshua Harris once again proves to us that Wall Street has nothing on the private sector. The owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, Harris founded Apollo Global Management, one of the world’s largest alternative investment firms. The firm specializes in leveraged buyout transactions and purchases of distressed securities – situations like corporate restructuring and industry consolidations, and has offices strewn all over the globe.
Along with the 76ers, Harris owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, as well as being a shareholder of the Crystal Palace. Pretty cool huh! The alt-investment group Apollo was, in fact, the group which purchased the 76ers, taking it out of the hands of Comcast in 2011, for $287 million. It seems to have paid off because Forbes lists the Sixers’ franchise value up to $1.65 billion. Fun fact: Will and Jada Smith are investors in Apollo.
Tim McGraw
Net Worth: $85 million Owns: Nashville Kats The renowned country music star is not only into his music: he’s into his sport too! The fifteen-album hard hitter has more awards under his Western-buckle belt than you can count. With a voice like his, it’s hardly unbelievable. Not to mention his awesome guitar-playing skills. And to top it off, McGraw also owns a stake in the Arena Football team, the Nashville Kats.
He’s a man’s man, splitting his time between music, family, and football – do you need anything else, really? But McGraw’s always had an interest in the NFL – did you know he and former NFL quarterback Brett Favre are good buddies, hosting charity events together?
Jeanie Marie Buss
Net Worth: $500 million Owns: Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) Jeanie Marie Buss is one of the leading ladies in the sports world: not so much for her athleticism, but rather for the fact that she heads up one of the most well-loved and famous basketball teams in the world. The president of the LA Lakers, Buss is a bit of a badass, too – did you know she owns WOW? (Women of Wrestling).
But Jeanie’s ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers stems from her father’s family trust. Jerry Buss, businessman, investor, and chemist, was the majority owner of the team, during the team’s Showtime era in the 1980s. When her father passed in 2013, his 66% controlling stake was divided among his children, with Jeanie taking the reins and leading the business operations of the team.