The NFL has become an $18 billion behemoth with the league's franchises among the most coveted assets in the world.
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Just this season, the Washington Commanders sold to an ownership group headlined by Joshua Harris, Magic Johnson, and others, for a record $6.05 billion.
In the American professional sports lexicon, the NFL remains king, and the most valuable sports, thanks in large part to the influx of incoming revenue from new television rights and streaming deals as well as paid partnerships with sports books, now that sports betting is gradually being legalized across the nation.
All of that new revenue has helped boost the wealth of the owners of the NFL's 32 teams.
Here's a look at the 10 most wealthiest NFL owners, given their most recent net worth, according to Forbes, as of December 2023.
1. Rob Walton, Denver Broncos: $63.5 Billion
Walton leads the ownership consortium that closed its purchase of the Broncos for $4.65 billion on August 9, 2022, when NFL owners approved the sale. The eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Rob served as the retail behemoth's chairman from 1992 through 2015. The wealthiest owner in the league, Walton owns the Broncos along with his son in law, Greg Penner.
2. David Tepper, Carolina Panthers: $20.6 Billion
Tepper purchased the Panthers for what had been a record $2.2 billion at the time of sale, in 2018. The Pittsburgh, Pa native accumulated his wealth as a successful hedge fund manager. Passed over for a partnership at Goldman Sachs in 1993, Tepper left the firm to found Appaloosa Management, the hedge fund that became a driving force of his fortune.
3. The Hunt Family, Kansas City Chiefs: $20.5 Billion
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Clark Hunt and the Hunt family have launched the closest thing to a dynasty the NFL has seen since the New England Patriots' fall from grace. All of the Chiefs' success on the field has helped drive the value of the franchise up to approximately $4.3 billion which is a major contributor to the Hunt family's ascending fortune.
4. Jody Allen, Seattle Seahawks: $20.3 Billion
Jody Allen, the sister of the late Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft and purchased the Seattle Seahawks for $194 million in 1997, took over as the team's chairperson upon his death in 2018. However, the Paul Allen Trust will force the family to sell the Seahawks and other assets with the proceeds going to philanthropic causes that he spent his life dedicated to. According to The Washington Post, the Seahawks could be placed up for sale as early as 2025.
5. Stan Kroenke, Los Angeles Rams: $15.7 Billion
Kroenke has amassed an impressive portfolio of sports franchises, including purchasing the Rams for $750 back in 2010. The real estate and sports tycoon has won championships as the owner of the Rams, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Avalanche, among the franchises that he owns. Kroenke also owns a significant amount of real estate and land throughout the United States and Canada.
6. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys: $13.8 Billion
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
The most influential owner in the NFL, and arguably in professional sports, Jones was among the first owners able to turn his team into a brand that transcends sports. Prior to purchasing the Cowboys, Jones built a fortune as an oil investor. In addition to owning the Cowboys, Jones' love and appreciation of fine art is well documented. An art collector, Jones also has several original works that were purchased or commissioned adorned throughout the various hospitality levels of AT&T Stadium.
7. Shahid Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars: $11.6 Billion
Khan boasts a broad investment portfolio, that he added the Jacksonville Jaguars alongside of Flex-N-Gate, and multiple Four Seasons resort properties in 2011. With ties to London, as the owner of the UK's Fulham Football Club, rumors have persisted of the Jaguars ultimately becoming the first team to be based oversees in London.
8. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots: $11.1 Billion
During Kraft's stewardship of the franchise, the Patriots became one of the greatest dynasties in modern American sports history. Prior to purchasing the Patriots for $172 million in 1994, Kraft built up his wealth through a myriad of investments and manufacturing firms.
9. Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins, $10.1 Billion
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Ross' firm 'Related Companies' helped him have a hand in developing affordable housing while also founding and investing in businesses across several industries. A prolific real estate developer, in 2009, Ross closed on purchasing a stake in the Dolphins from Wayne Huizenga that made him a 95 percent stakeholder in the franchise.
10. Jimmy Haslam, Cleveland Browns: $8.8 Billion
Haslam's father founded the chain of truck stops 'Pilot Flying J,' which Jimmy became the chairman of in 2021. When Haslam purchased the Cleveland Browns, and became the majority owner of in 2012, the sale was approved for $1 billion. The Browns are now valued at approximately $4.62 billion.
