Richest NFL Owners: All 32 Ranked by Net Worth
On this page7
Rob Walton is the richest NFL owner. Forbes put the Denver Broncos owner’s net worth at $133.4 billion on 9 August 2026, more than five times the next name on the list. Behind him come the Hunt family of the Kansas City Chiefs at $24.8 billion, Stan Kroenke of the Los Angeles Rams at $24.3 billion and David Tepper of the Carolina Panthers at $23.7 billion. Jerry Jones sits fifth at $19 billion, but owns the single most valuable franchise in world sport.
Net worth figures below are Forbes real-time billionaires estimates as of 9 August 2026 unless a different date is stated. Franchise valuations are from the Forbes NFL list published on 28 August 2025, the most recent full ranking.
How we ranked NFL owner wealth
The order uses the controlling owner or controlling family and a dated Forbes estimate where one exists. It does not add the wealth of unrelated minority investors, and it does not treat franchise value as cash owned personally. Families without a defensible current estimate are separated rather than assigned invented numbers. Equal estimates would be treated as a tie, with no false decimal precision.
The richest NFL owners, ranked
| # | Owner or group | Team | Net worth | Acquired | Price paid | Franchise value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Walton & family | Denver Broncos | $133.4B | 2022 | $4.65B | $6.8B |
| 2 | Hunt family | Kansas City Chiefs | $24.8B | 1960 | $25,000 AFL fee | $6.2B |
| 3 | Stan Kroenke | Los Angeles Rams | $24.3B | 2010 | ~$750M franchise value | $10.5B |
| 4 | David Tepper | Carolina Panthers | $23.7B | 2018 | $2.275B | $5.7B |
| 5 | Jerry Jones & family | Dallas Cowboys | $19.0B | 1989 | $140M | $13.0B |
| 6 | Stephen Ross | Miami Dolphins | $17.0B | 2008-09 | ~$1.1B | $7.5B |
| 7 | Shahid Khan | Jacksonville Jaguars | $15.1B | 2012 | $770M | $5.6B |
| 8 | Robert Kraft | New England Patriots | $13.8B | 1994 | $172M | $9.0B |
| 9 | Glazer family | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $12.1B | 1995 | $192M | $6.6B |
| 10 | Arthur Blank | Atlanta Falcons | $10.8B | 2002 | $545M | $6.35B |
| 11 | Josh Harris | Washington Commanders | $10.7B | 2023 | $6.05B | $7.6B |
| 12 | Jimmy & Dee Haslam | Cleveland Browns | $10.3B | 2012 | $987M | $6.4B |
| 13 | Terry & Kim Pegula | Buffalo Bills | $9.3B | 2014 | $1.4B | $5.95B |
| 14 | Denise DeBartolo York & family | San Francisco 49ers | $8.5B | 1977 | $13M | $8.6B |
| 15 | Steve Bisciotti | Baltimore Ravens | $8.4B | 2000 & 2004 | $600M in two stages | $6.1B |
| 16 | Gayle Benson | New Orleans Saints | $7.9B | 1985 | $70M | $5.3B |
| 17 | Jeffrey Lurie | Philadelphia Eagles | $7.6B | 1994 | $185M | $8.3B |
| 18 | McNair family | Houston Texans | $7.3B | 1999 | $700M expansion fee | $7.4B |
| 19 | Woody Johnson | New York Jets | $3.5B | 2000 | $635M | $8.1B |
| 20 | Amy Adams Strunk | Tennessee Titans | $2.8B | 1959 | $25,000 AFL fee | $6.3B |
Glazer family figure as of 29 June 2026; McNair family figure as of 10 March 2026, shortly before Janice McNair’s death in July 2026. Her son Cal McNair became the Texans’ principal owner in 2024.
The franchises Forbes does not rank individually
Twelve clubs are held by families or, in one case, the public. Forbes publishes franchise values for all of them but no current individual net worth for the controlling owner, so ranking them alongside the names above would mean inventing numbers. They are listed here by franchise value instead.
| Team | Controlling owner or group | Acquired | Price paid | Franchise value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | Mara family; Tisch family | 1925; 50% in 1991 | $500 | $10.1B |
| Chicago Bears | McCaskey family (George Halas) | 1920 | $100 franchise fee | $8.2B |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Mark Davis / Davis family | 1966, control from 1972 | $18,500 for 10% | $7.7B |
| Seattle Seahawks | Paul G. Allen Estate | 1997 | $194M | $6.7B |
| Green Bay Packers | 500,000+ public shareholders | 1923 | Non-profit, no owner | $6.65B |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Rooney family | 1933 | $2,500 | $6.5B |
| Minnesota Vikings | Wilf family | 2005 | $600M | $6.25B |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Spanos family | 1984 | $48.3M for 60% | $6.0B |
| Indianapolis Colts | Irsay family | 1972 | Franchise swap | $5.9B |
| Arizona Cardinals | Bidwill family | 1932 | $50,000 | $5.5B |
| Detroit Lions | Ford family | 1963 | $4.5M | $5.4B |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Brown family | 1967 | $7.5M expansion fee | $5.25B |
The Seahawks will not stay on that list. In 2026 the Paul G. Allen Estate agreed to sell the club to a group led by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, his wife Neeru and son Neal for a reported $9.612 billion, an NFL record and a figure that would place Khosla, worth $13.8 billion on 9 August 2026, inside the top ten above. The sale requires approval from three-quarters of the league’s owners. Paul Allen’s will directed that his sports assets be sold and the proceeds given to charity, so his sister Jody, who has chaired the club since his death in 2018, does not profit from the sale.
Which NFL owners made the biggest return?
The families who bought in before the Second World War, by an order of magnitude nobody since can match. The Bidwills paid $50,000 for the Chicago Cardinals in 1932 and hold a franchise Forbes values at $5.5 billion. The Rooneys paid $2,500 in 1933 for a club now worth $6.5 billion, a return of roughly 2.6 million times.
Among modern buyers the standout is Jerry Jones. He paid $140 million for the Cowboys and Texas Stadium in 1989, and Forbes valued the franchise at $13 billion in 2025, about 93 times his money before accounting for four decades of operating profit and the separate revenue from AT&T Stadium. The full story of that deal is in our guide to who owns the Dallas Cowboys.
Robert Kraft is close behind on multiple. He bought the Patriots for $172 million in 1994 when the club was close to relocating, and the franchise is now valued at $9 billion, roughly 52 times the purchase price plus six Super Bowl titles.
How much is every NFL team worth?
All 32 clubs were valued at $5 billion or more for the first time in the Forbes list published on 28 August 2025, with an average of $7.1 billion, up about 25% year on year. The Buffalo Bills posted the biggest jump at 42%, followed by the Rams and Giants at 38% each.
The valuations bear little relation to on-field success. The Cowboys have not reached a conference championship game since the 1995 season and are worth $13 billion. The Kansas City Chiefs, the dominant team of the past decade, sit 22nd at $6.2 billion. What drives the numbers is market size, stadium revenue and the national media deals that are split 32 ways, which is why a new venue moves a valuation more than a playoff run does. The biggest of those venues are covered in our guide to the largest NFL stadiums.
What are the NFL’s ownership rules?
A controlling owner must personally hold at least 30% of the franchise, and any sale must be approved by three-quarters of the other owners. That 30% floor is the reason NFL clubs are owned by individuals and families rather than corporations or consortiums, and it is why the entry price is measured in billions of personal wealth rather than fund capital.
The league loosened one rule in August 2024, voting to allow approved private equity funds to take passive stakes of up to 10%. No fund can control a team, sit on the board or influence football operations. Public ownership remains banned outright for any franchise other than Green Bay, which was grandfathered when the rule came in.
Several of these owners have extended the same playbook to England, where eleven of the twenty top-flight clubs are now American-owned — see our guide to Premier League owners.
Who actually owns the Green Bay Packers?
More than 500,000 shareholders, none of whom owns the team in any meaningful sense. Green Bay Packers, Inc. is a non-profit corporation formed in 1923, and its shares pay no dividend, cannot be resold at a profit and grant nothing but voting rights and a certificate.
It is the only publicly held club in American major league sport, and Forbes still assigns it a $6.65 billion value for comparison even though no one can buy it. For more on how sport’s biggest assets are held, see our ownership guides.
Review class: annual. Recheck when Forbes publishes updated franchise valuations, and on any completed sale or transfer of control.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest NFL owner?+
Rob Walton, whose group bought the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion in 2022, is the richest NFL owner. Forbes put his net worth at $133.4 billion on 9 August 2026, derived from the Walton family's stake in Walmart. He is worth more than five times the next richest NFL owner.
Who owns the most valuable NFL team?+
Jerry Jones owns the Dallas Cowboys, valued at $13 billion in the Forbes list published on 28 August 2025. That makes the Cowboys the most valuable sports franchise in the world, ahead of the Los Angeles Rams at $10.5 billion and the New York Giants at $10.1 billion.
Are all NFL owners billionaires?+
Almost. Every NFL controlling owner or ownership family is a billionaire on paper, though the Green Bay Packers have no owner at all. The Packers are a publicly held non-profit corporation with more than 500,000 shareholders, and league rules have barred that structure for any new franchise since 1960.
How much does it cost to buy an NFL team?+
The record is the $9.612 billion the Khosla family group agreed to pay for the Seattle Seahawks in 2026, subject to NFL approval. The previous record was the $6.05 billion Josh Harris's group paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023. Forbes values the cheapest franchise, the Bengals, at $5.25 billion.
Which NFL owner has made the biggest return?+
Measured against the purchase price, the Bidwill, Rooney, Mara and McCaskey families, whose franchises were bought for five-figure sums or less in the 1920s and 1930s, are unmatched. Among modern buyers, Jerry Jones turned $140 million in 1989 into a $13 billion franchise, roughly 93 times his money.
Can private equity buy an NFL team?+
Only a minority slice. The NFL voted in August 2024 to let approved private equity funds hold passive stakes of up to 10% in a franchise. A controlling owner must still personally hold at least 30% of the team, which is the rule that keeps NFL clubs in the hands of individuals and families.
Who owns the Green Bay Packers?+
Nobody, in the usual sense. The Packers are owned by more than 500,000 shareholders through Green Bay Packers, Inc., a non-profit corporation dating to 1923. Shares pay no dividend, carry no resale value and confer no benefits beyond voting rights. Forbes still values the club at $6.65 billion.
How much are NFL teams worth on average?+
The average NFL franchise was worth $7.1 billion in the Forbes list published on 28 August 2025, up about 25% year on year. It was the first year all 32 clubs were valued at $5 billion or more, with the Cincinnati Bengals setting the floor at $5.25 billion.
Sources
Related ownership guides
View all →Most Valuable Sports Teams: The NFL Owns the List
The Dallas Cowboys are worth $13bn — and NFL franchises take 13 of the top 20. Real Madrid leads world football on $9.5bn and still ranks outside the top five.
15 Richest NBA Owners in 2026, Ranked by Net Worth
Steve Ballmer is the NBA's richest owner in 2026. See the top 15 ranked by estimated wealth, team, business source and ownership cost.
Who Owns the Dallas Cowboys? Jerry Jones and a $13B Club
Jerry Jones has owned the Dallas Cowboys since 1989, when he paid $140 million. His net worth, the family's roles, and why the club is worth $13 billion.
Most Valuable Football Clubs: The Top Two Have No Owner
Real Madrid $9.5bn, Barcelona $7.5bn — both member-owned. Manchester United, privately held, dropped to third. Forbes' 2026 valuations, with the ownership overlay.
Private Equity in Sports: The NBA Went to Eight
Every major US league now allows private equity. The NFL caps it at 10%. And since December 2025 one NBA fund can hold stakes in eight teams.
Premier League Owners: Three Clubs Left in British Hands
Eleven of the twenty Premier League clubs are American-owned, including four of the big six. Only Brentford, Brighton and Tottenham remain fully British.