Owning a sports team has long been one of the ultimate billionaire status symbols. For many of the planet's most moneyed individuals, it's as much about the thrill of competition and lifelong fandom as it is about a savvy investment. Plum tax breaks and accounting loopholes only add to the appeal, helping to make franchises lucrative assets.

From basketball bosses to American football and soccer supremos, read on for the world's wealthiest sports team owners in 2025, as identified by Forbes. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Compiled in March, Forbes' 2025 ranking includes only majority/controlling owners of top-tier teams across major North American leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, NWSL, WNBA), as well as leading global competitions such as Europe's 'big five' soccer leagues, and other top-flight divisions in Europe and Latin America.

For this reason, LVMH's Bernard Arnault, who snapped up Paris FC last year when it was still in France's Ligue 2, isn't included. If he were, his $178 billion (£133bn) net worth would place him firmly in the number one spot. But with the side promoted to Ligue 1 for this season, Arnault will almost certainly feature in the 2026 round-up.

Several billionaires wealthier than the current number one have flirted with owning sports teams but never sealed a deal. Elon Musk has joked about buying Manchester United FC and reportedly showed interest in Liverpool FC, while Bill Gates was allegedly offered the Merseyside soccer club in 2010.

Mark Zuckerberg has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur FC, Oracle's Larry Ellison made multiple failed bids for NBA and NFL teams (and had “advanced talks” to acquire Aston Villa FC), and Warren Buffett once dreamed of owning the Washington Commanders.According to reports, Spanish fast-fashion tycoon Amancio Ortega explored a Manchester United takeover in 2022. Onto the countdown...

Tony Ressler made his billions in private equity, co-founding powerhouse firms Apollo Global Management and Ares Management in the 1990s.

In 2015, Ressler led the group that purchased the Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise for a reported $850 million ($1.2m/£900k in today's money). He also owns a minority stake in MLB's Milwaukee Brewers. Ressler is pictured here at a Lakers-Hawks game in January with his Hollywood actress wife Jami Gertz and fellow sports team owner Will Ferrell.

Robert Kraft built his fortune from a paper and packaging business originally owned by his former father-in-law, which he took over and expanded in the 1970s, transforming it into a multibillion-dollar conglomerate.

Kraft went on to buy the New England Patriots in 1994, paying $172 million ($380m/£288m today). The NFL franchise, considered the most successful of all time, is now valued at $9 billion (£6.7bn). The paper tycoon turned sports mogul also founded and owns the top-tier US soccer team New England Revolution.

Taiwan-born Joe Tsai made his billions as co-founder of Alibaba Group, where he remains its second-largest individual shareholder after Jack Ma. A Yale-educated lawyer and economist, Tsai rose to become chairman of the Chinese e-commerce giant in 2023.

In 2019, he bought the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and their home arena, the Barclays Center, for a reported $3.3 billion (£2.5bn), breaking the then-record for a sports-team purchase. He also owns the WNBA's New York Liberty and recently acquired a small stake in the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

Heir to Danish fashion retailer Bestseller, Anders Holch Povlsen has expanded the family business into a global group with over 20 brands, including Jack & Jones and Vero Moda. He's also the largest shareholder in British online retailer ASOS and Scotland's biggest private landowner.

In 2021, Povlsen bought a 25% stake in FC Midtjylland for about $20 million (£15.7m), increasing it to 95.5% in 2023 for an undisclosed sum. Under his ownership, the club has broken transfer records, topped the Danish Superliga and set its sights on joining Europe's top-flight elite.

Shahid Khan made his fortune through Flex-N-Gate, the US auto parts manufacturer he bought from his former employer in 1980. The Pakistan-born engineer's breakthrough one-piece truck bumper design helped turn it into a global juggernaut with more than 70 plants and 27,000 employees.

Khan bought the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 for $770 million ($1.1m/£835k today) and Fulham FC two years later for $300 million ($420m/£318m today). He's invested heavily in both clubs and teamed up with son Tony in 2019 to launch All Elite Wrestling, now a major competitor to WWE.

German entrepreneur Hasso Plattner made his fortune after co-founding business-software giant SAP in 1972, later taking it public and turning it into one of Europe's most valuable tech firms.

A diehard hockey fan, he joined the San Jose Sharks' ownership group in 2002, paying $147 million ($265m/£200m today), and took majority control eight years later. Plattner now faces the challenge of reviving a team that has spent recent seasons near the bottom of the NHL standings.

Former Apple engineer Robert Pera founded Ubiquiti Networks in 2003, building it into a multibillion-dollar wireless-equipment firm with global reach. He still owns about 93% of the Nasdaq-listed company.

Pera purchased control of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012 for $377 million ($533m/£405m today) alongside minority investors including Justin Timberlake. In 2018, he bought out two partners in a deal that valued the NBA team between $1.3 billion (£975m) and $1.4 billion (£1bn), according to ESPN.

Former oil prospector Jerry Jones is the only billionaire in this ranking whose fortune stems primarily from sports ownership. He bought the loss-making Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for $150 million, the equivalent of $395 million (£300m) in today's money. It was a gamble that paid off spectacularly: the NFL team is now worth $13 billion (£9.7bn), making it the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

Despite not reaching a Super Bowl in three decades, the Cowboys generated a record $1.2 billion (£890m) in revenue last season. Jones also holds a controlling stake in Texas energy company Comstock Resources and invests heavily in property and art.

A seasoned tycoon, Philip Anschutz has amassed billions of dollars from a slew of ventures spanning oil, property, telecoms, entertainment and more. His company AEG owns events and arenas worldwide, including the Coachella Music Festival and the O2 in London.

Anschutz acquired the NHL's Los Angeles Kings in 1995 and became a founding investor in the top-tier MLS, helping to keep the league afloat in its early years. Through AEG, he has owned multiple MLS teams and remains the outright owner of LA Galaxy, one of the division's most successful and high-profile franchises.

Stan Kroenke derives his fortune from property, with a portfolio that includes millions of acres of shopping malls and ranches across North America.

The real estate mogul has built a transatlantic sports empire to boot, encompassing the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, and the UK's Arsenal FC. Yet Kroenke isn't the most popular billionaire sports owner, to put it mildly. He's especially loathed by Arsenal fans for his hands-off approach and hard-nosed focus on the London club's profitability.

Another real estate mogul, Stephen Ross helms Related Companies, which has built or acquired developments across the world worth tens of billions of dollars, including New York City's Hudson Yards.

Ross paid $1.1 billion ($1.7bn/£1.3bn today) in 2008 and 2009 to buy a 95% stake in the Miami Dolphins, as well as its home arena, the Hard Rock Stadium. He's also the majority owner of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix. Last year he sold a 10% stake in the Dolphins, its stadium, and his F1 interest to Ares Management, and offloaded a 3% piece of the pie to the aforementioned Joe Tsai in a deal that valued the NFL team at $8.1 billion (£6.1bn).

Broadcom co-founder and chairman Henry Samueli has seen his wealth skyrocket thanks to the AI-fuelled surge in the semiconductor leader's share price, with his 2% stake now worth a bewildering sum.

Samueli has also struck gold in the field of sports ownership. Alongside his wife, Susan, he bought the NHL's Anaheim Ducks in 2005 for $70 million ($115m/£87m in 2025 money). Today, the ice hockey team is worth a cool $1 billion (£750m).

Regarded as one of the greatest hedge fund geniuses of all time, David Tepper has led the storied Appaloosa Management since 1993. He has built a career turning bold bets into huge payoffs. And his sports ventures are no exception.

The super-shrewd investor acquired the Carolina Panthers in 2018 for a then record $2.3 billion (£1.7bn). Today, the NFL franchise is worth $5.7 billion (£4.3bn). A year later, Tepper parted with $325 million (£244m) to establish Charlotte FC, which is now valued at a very tidy $705 million (£528m).

Staying with heavyweight hedge fund managers, Steve Cohen ran one of the most successful outfits in the game, SAC Capital, which was later shuttered following insider trading violations. He returned to the business in 2018 with Point72 Asset Management.

In 2020, Cohen paid $2.4 billion (£1.8bn) to buy the New York Mets from Fred Wilpon, smashing the record for an MLB franchise sale. But despite splurging almost $1.6 billion (£1.2bn) on players, the team is yet to win a World Series under his ownership.

François Pinault founded a timber-trading company in 1963 and later transformed it into the luxury group Kering, which owns Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga. His family also controls Christie's auction house and talent agency CAA through their investment group Artémis.

A proud Breton, Pinault bought Stade Rennais FC in 1998 and has poured millions into the club. Under his ownership, Rennes lifted the 2019 Coupe de France, its first major trophy in nearly half a century, but it continues to chase a maiden Ligue 1 title.

Idan Ofer is the son of the late Sammy Ofer, Israel's one-time richest person, and the brother of Eyal Ofer. He owns a major maritime logistics company and has a 51% stake in chemicals, energy, and shipping conglomerate Israel Corp.

Ofer snagged a 15% stake in Spanish soccer team Atlético Madrid in 2017 for $50.2 million (£44.6m) and bought a further 17% in 2018 for an undisclosed price. That same year, he dropped “a few million euros” for 51% of Portuguese second division side FC Famalicão and increased his ownership to 85% in 2019, the year the team was promoted to the Primeira Liga.

Detroit-born billionaire Dan Gilbert made his fortune as the co-founder of Rocket Mortgage, America's second-largest home lender. He launched the business in 1985 at just 22 years old and took it public in 2020. A year earlier, the lending tycoon started up online sneaker sales platform StockX.

Gilbert bought the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005 for $375 million ($625m/£475m today). Under his ownership, the Cavs captured their first-ever NBA Championship in 2016, led by LeBron James, and the team is now worth $4.8 billion (£3.6bn).

Israeli-born physician Miriam Adelson inherited her fortune in 2021 from her late husband Sheldon Adelson, the founder of casino colossus Las Vegas Sands, which operates resorts in Macao and Singapore. A prominent Republican Party megadonor and strong Trump ally, she wields major political influence in the US and Israel.

In 2023, Adelson paid around $3.5 billion (£2.6bn) to acquire a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban. Her ownership began controversially after the NBA franchise traded away star player Luka Dončić, though its valuation has jumped to $5.1 billion (£3.8bn) from $4.5 billion (£3.4bn) in 2023.

The first of two centibillionaires in this round-up, Rob Walton is the firstborn son of late Walmart founder Sam Walton. He owns around 11% of the retail behemoth, which is the world's largest company by revenue.

In 2022, Walton led a group that bought the NFL's Denver Broncos for $4.7 billion (£3.5bn), a then record price for a sports team. The following year, he transferred official control to his son-in-law Greg Penner but remains the de facto owner. The investment is paying off nicely, with the Broncos now valued at $6.8 billion (£5.1bn).

Microsoft CEO from 2000 to 2014, Steve Ballmer owns around 4% of the tech titan, a holding that has made him very rich indeed.

Ballmer acquired the Los Angeles Clippers the year he quit the Redmond-headquartered company, paying $2 billion ($2.7bn/£2.1bn today) for the privilege. The NBA franchise is now worth $7.5 billion (£5.6bn). One of the most passionate billionaire sports team owners, Ballmer's animated courtside celebrations are the stuff of legend and frequently go viral.

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