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On Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and franchise owners approved the sale of the Denver Broncos. The Broncos are now owned by a consortium led by former Walmart chairman Rob Walton. The price was an incredible $4.65 billion.
The new ownership group comprises Walton's daughter Carrie Walton-Penner and son-in-law Greg Penner. Co-CEO of Ariel Investments Mellody Hobson, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton also pitched in. The deal eclipses the $2.4 billion purchase of MLB's New York Mets by hedgefund manager Steve Cohen in 2020.
The Denver Broncos sale also makes Rob Walton the richest owner in the NFL. Heir to the retail chain Walmart, Walton has an estimated net worth of $60 billion. He is ranked as the 19th world's richest person by Forbes.
Walton toppled Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper as the wealthiest owner in the NFL. Tepper, a billionaire hedge fund manager, acquired the Carolina Panthers for $2.3 billion in 2018. Forbes estimates his net worth to be $16.7 billion and he is ranked 103rd on their list of the world's richest people.
Tepper is also the owner of the MLS expansion side, Charlotte FC. He paid a reported $325 million, an MLS record, in 2018 for the franchise. The 64-year-old also holds a minority stake in fellow NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has a 5% stake that he has held since 2005.
The owner of the league's most valuable franchise, the Dallas Cowboys - Jerry Jones - falls to the third spot. He has an estimated net worth of $11.7 billion. Ranked as the 185th richest person in the world, Jones has served as the executive of the Cowboys since 1989. He acquired the franchise for $150 million. The team was valued at $5.5 billion in 2021.
Who are the top-10 richest owners in the NFL?
As you can probably guess, owning an NFL team is a very lucrative investment. The value of franchises continues to rise, as is displayed by the Denver Broncos selling price.
When it comes to the top-10 wealthiest NFL owners, their net worth is ranked as follows:
- Rob Walton, Denver Broncos, $60.3 billion net worth
- David Tepper, Carolina Panthers, $16.7 billion net worth
- Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys, $11.7 billion net worth
- Robert Kraft, New England Patriots, $8.3 billion net worth
- Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins, $8.2 billion
- Shahid Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars, $7.3 billion
- Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons, $7 billion
- Stephen Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens, $5.8 billion
- Terry Pegula, Buffalo Bills, $5.8 billon
- Janice McNair, Houston Texans, $4.2 billion
It is likely that the trend of team value will continue to rise. The next franchise to be sold could well cost more than the Denver Broncos.
