• Home
  • News
  • Three NBA Owners Feature In Top Ten Richest Sports Tycoons In The World

Three NBA owners feature in top ten richest sports tycoons in the world

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer

The Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer tops the 2022 Owners Rich List as 21 NBA figures feature in the top 100.

To own an NBA franchise, you are bound to have a pretty penny. As the wealthiest sports owner in the world, Steve Ballmer boasts a personal fortune of around $97billion - making him the tenth richest person on Earth.

While many believe football to be the sport with the most money, it is hard to look past the big leagues in America. The NHL, NBA and NFL have some of the most affluent people in the world running the show, whilst some own a team in all three, on top of other sports.

Newcastle United owner, Mohammad Bin Salman, is in the top 10 as he boasts a personal wealth of £13,693,733,100. Perhaps surprisingly, the Real Oviedo owner is third on the list, despite his side playing their football in the Spanish second division.

The only person from the Indian Premier League to make the top ten is Mumbai Indians owner, Mukesh Ambani, who is absolutely minted. His wealth is said to be £72,044,251,365, putting him second, behind the 66-year-old Ballmer.

Here are the three NBA people to occupy a spot in OLBG's top 10.

Steve Ballmer - Los Angeles Clippers (£72,805,014,315)

The owner of the Clippers is the richest owner in sports and tenth richest person in the world.
Hired by Bill Gates at Microsoft in 1980, Ballmer is a former CEO of the company.
Ballmer was the second person to become a billionaire in U.S. dollars based on stock options and is a well-known philanthropist.
He doesn't just have cash coming out of his eyeballs, in 2020, The Athletic voted him the best owner in basketball, showing that he is pretty good at his job.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Clippers were both in the top 10 for highest-paid NBA players in 2022.

Dan Gilbert - Cleveland Cavaliers (£16,417,264,461)

With a measly £16billion to his name, Gilbert is the second richest NBA owner, and eighth richest sports owner.
He is the majority owner of the Cavaliers and co-founder and chairman of Quicken Loans.
The 63-year-old was in charge when the Cavs won their only championship in 2016. He has a lot to thank LeBron James for...
As well as Ballmer, Gilbert is a renowned philanthropist.

Ann and Stan Kroenke - Denver Nuggets (£15,063,106,410)

Arsenal FC owner, Kroenke, has fingers in a lot of pies.

Stan is chairman and CEO of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, founder of The Kroenke Group Chairman of THF Realty, owner of Arsenal FC, Arsenal Women, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Mammoth, Los Angeles Gladiators, Los Angeles Guerrillas.

When he's not watching sport he's sipping wine as the owner of the Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards, as well as herding cattle at his Waggoner Ranch - the largest ranch in the US. Although he probably gets someone else to herd the cattle.
He has often been criticised for his lack of appearances in north London, with his son, Josh, basically representing him for Arsenal.
Blasted for his plan to form the European Super League, Kroenke is not exactly loved in Denver, either.
In 2009, Kroenke double-booked his venue back with RAW (WWE) set to air at the Pepsi Center on the same night the Nuggets were poised to play the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA playoffs.
WWE chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon, blasted Kroenke afterwards, saying the Nuggets owner should be "arrested for impersonating a good businessman".

The rest of the 100

Three NBA owners occupy a place in the top 10, with another 18 making the top 100.
Memphis Grizzlies' Robert Pera is 13th and Brooklyn Nets' Joseph Tsai is 21st.
Also in the top 100 - in order of wealth - is Micky Arison (Miami Heat), Tony Ressler (Atlanta Hawks), Tom Gores (Detroit Pistons), Ed Roski Jr. (LA Lakers), Tilman Fertitta (Houston Rockets), Charles Dolan (New York Knicks), Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks), Todd Boehly (LA Lakers), Gayle Benson (New Orleans Pelicans), Herbert Simon (Indiana Pacers), Wes Edens (Milwaukee Bucks), Glen Taylor (Minnesota Timberwolves), Jerry Reinsdorf (Chicago Bulls), Marc Lasry (Milwaukee Bucks), Michael Jordan (Charlotte Hornets) and Ted Leonsis (Washington Wizards).
READ MORE: Marcus Smart and Al Horford return as Boston Celtics demolish Miami Heat in East Finals Game 2

    More Articles