5 biggest NFL team purchases of all-time ft. Panthers and Bills

Most expensive NFL team purchases

#3 - Miami Dolphins - $1.1 billion

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross

Stephen Ross initially purchased half the ownership stake in the Miami Dolphins in 2008 when he bought a 50 percent share. He bought an additional 45 percent of the Dolphins' ownership a year later, moving his stake up to 95 percent. The total sale was worth more than a billion dollars, the first NFL team to sell for a ten-figure price.

Ross became a billionaire through the success of The Related Companies, an international real estate development company he founded. He also co-founded RSE Ventures, an investment firm, while being the co-owner of Kangaroo Media and Fan Vision.

#2 - Buffalo Bills - $1.4 billion

Buffalo Bills owners Kim and Terry Pegula

Terry Pegula was a petroleum engineer who struck big when he founded East Resources, a drilling company. Before selling for more than $6 billion, the company made many discoveries and innovations.

Terry and his wife Kim Pegula purchased the Buffalo Bills in 2014 for a then-record-setting $1.4 billion. They added to their sports empire in New York, owning the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bandits, Buffalo Beauts, Rochester Americans, and Rochester Knighthawks.

#1 - Carolina Panthers - $2.2 billion

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper

David Tepper smashed the record for the most expensive NFL team ever sold when he purchased the Carolina Panthers for an incredible $2.2 billion in 2018. Currently, he is also the wealthiest owner entering the 2022 season, valued at $17.6 billion.

Tepper is considered one of the most successful hedge fund managers globally. After being denied a promotion to partner within Goldman Sachs, where he worked, he started his own firm, Appaloosa Management. He also founded Charlotte FC, the most recent expansion team in the MLS.