Who is Ryan Smith? All you need to know about the Utah Jazz owner

At the age of 45, Ryan Smith, majority owner of the Utah Jazz, is one of the youngest owners in the NBA.

Smith is said to be one of the driving factors behind Utah being selected as the host for this year’s All-Star weekend. The 45-year-old was a young fan who watched from the stands the last time the All-Star weekend was held in Utah, back in 1993. Smith said the following on the occasion:

"We are a basketball state, this is a basketball community. This is a really important moment for our state to shine."

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Smith will also serve as one of the honorary captains for the All-Star celebrity game. We look at his overall profile on the occasion.

Who is Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith?

S. Ryan Smith is a prominent American businessman and billionaire. He is well-known as the executive chairman and co-founder of Qualtrics, an experience management company headquartered in Provo, Utah, United States. Smith's leadership has helped Qualtrics grow and achieve a significant presence in the business world.

In 2016, Smith was recognized as one of the top 40 young executives in the world by Fortune magazine. He was included in Fortune's "40 Under 40" list, which is a prestigious honor that recognizes the most influential and successful young business leaders in various industries.

Aside from his success in the business world, Smith is also involved in the sports industry. He is a partial shareholder of two professional sports teams - the Utah Jazz in the NBA and Real Salt Lake in the MLS.

In October 2020, Smith agreed to purchase the Utah Jazz from the Miller family for an astonishing $1.66 billion. The acquisition was approved by the NBA's Board of Governors on Dec. 18, 2020. Smith Entertainment Group and David Blitzer also agreed to purchase Real Salt Lake in January 2022.

Ryan Smith was born in Eugene, Oregon, and is the son of Scott M. Smith, a university professor and co-founder of Qualtrics, and Nancy Smith Hill, an entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in information systems. Aside from his professional life, Smith is a devoted family man.

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He is married to Ashley Smith and the couple have five children together. Forbes estimated Smith's net worth at $1.6 billion as of September 2021. Ryan Smith and his family are known to be residents of Provo, Utah, where his company Qualtrics is also headquartered.

Ryan Smith also owns a soccer club in MLS

Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith co-owns Real Salt Lake soccer club with David Seltzer. NBA legend and Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade are also a part of the ownership group. Smith had an opportunity to buy the club in 2020, but had to defer it as a moment to purchase Utah Jazz presented itself instead.

Smith was elated after the acquisition, as he was quoted saying

“Our love for what RSL brings to this community and the state of Utah has not wavered at all"

The Jazz have been in the rebuilding era lately, with Lauri Markannen emerging as the poster boy of the often overlooked franchise.

Expectations for the Utah Jazz in the 2023-24 NBA season

Trail Blazers Jazz Basketball (AP Photo/Isaac Hale)

Currently sitting as the 12th seed in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz have been struggling since they lost their superstars; Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Despite their relatively young roster, the Jazz are among the worst teams in the NBA this season. However, the team has a lot of upside, young talent, and room for development but it will be a while till we see this team flourish in the league.