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The NFL obviously isn't short of rich owners. But that does not mean all of them are equally wealthy. With the exception of the Green Bay Packers, who are fan-owned, all other owners are either millionaires or billionaires. With the addition of the Denver Broncos' new owners, the landscape has changed. It is almost as if there has been a ripple in the NFL continuum with their principal owner being a Walmart heir. So, just how big are they? We look at all the richest owners in the NFL.
Here are the top five richest NFL owners:
#5. Stan Kroenke - $10.7 billion, Los Angeles Rams
Stan Kroenke made his name in the real estate business. Part of his wealth and standing comes from being married to Ann Walton, a heiress to the Walmart fortune.
He owns Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, through which he controls clubs in various sports and leagues. In addition to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, he owns Arsenal FC (men's and women's) in the English Premier League. He also owns the NBA's Denver Nuggets, NHL's Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rapids in the MLS, in addition to other sports teams in other leagues.
#4. Hunt Family - $15.3 billion, Kansas City Chiefs
The Hunt family is synonymous with the NFL. The story of their fortune began in the oilfields of Texas. H.L. Hunt was the patriarch of this family and it was his son who became a bonafide sports legend.
Lamar Hunt was the founder of the AFL, which would later merge with the NFL. Today, the AFC Championship trophy is named after him. But it is not the only trophy to bear his name as he was a pioneer in US Soccer and was a founder in both the NASL and MLS. The US Open Cup in soccer, therefore, bears his name. He is a hall-of-famer in tennis for his contributions there, in addition to football and soccer.
Lamar Hunt once owned the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL. Today, his son Clark Hunt is the CEO of the team and its public face and the ownership belongs to his mother and siblings since the death of his father.
#3. David Tepper - $15.8 billion, Carolina Panthers
David Tepper is third on our richest owners list in the league. His fortune comes from being the founder and president of Appaloosa Management, a global hedge fund. He is well known within the profession as being the richest hedge fund manager of all time. The Tepper School of Business was named after him at Carnegie Mellon University following a generous grant. At one point, he was the biggest taxpayer in New Jersey.
He owns both the Carolina Panthers in the NFL and Charlotte FC in the MLS.
#2. Jody Allen and Paul G. Allen Trust - $20.3 billion, Seattle Seahawks
Paul Allen was the co-founder of Microsoft and upon his death, control of his affairs was passed on to his sister Jody Allen. She inherited the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, among other material possessions.
As a founding member of Microsoft, Paul Allen earned the majority of his wealth from the growth of the company. He was naturally fond of the Pacific North West Coast, as Microsoft was headquartered there. He owned both the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jody Allen has been managing the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation since 1990 and was the natural successor to the Trust. She was also directly involved in advising her brother when he first thought of buying the Seattle Seahawks. Thus, she had an intimate knowledge of the team's operations.
#1. Walton-Penner Ownership Group - $59 billion, Denver Broncos
After completing the purchase of the Denver Broncos', the Walton-Penner Ownership Group became the owners of the NFL franchise. They are, by far, the richest owners in the NFL.
Rob Walton is the eldest son of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. The Walton family is the richest family in the United States. As the heir to that fortune, he is estimated to be the 18th richest person in the world. Rob Walton was the chairperson for Walmart from 1992 to 2015. Had the COVID pandemic not hit Walmart shares, his net worth would have been much higher.
This is his first foray into professional sports and he has assembled a good group including Condoleeza Rice and Lewis Hamilton. Whether the success the Walton family has achieved can be replicated on the football field is unknown, but it is certainly off to a promising start. Plus whatever problems they face in the future, it certainly won't be a shortage of money.
