Buss Family Selling Lakers To Mark Walter For Record $10 Billion

In what would be a record price for a North American sports franchise, multiple reports indicate that the Buss family is selling the majority stake in the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter for at least $10 billion.

Walter, who is CEO and chair of TWG Global, is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has ownership in the Los Angeles Sparks, Billie Jean Cup, the new Cadillac team slated to join the F1 grid in 2026, and the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Walter is also the CEO of Guggenheim Partners.

Walter, through Guggenheim Partners, with Magic Johnson as part of the ownership group, purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 for $2.2 billion.

Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 for $67.5 million (inflation-adjusted $298,882,748), which included the NHL Los Angeles Kings and the LA Forum. According to ESPN, Jeanie Buss would remain as the Lakers’ governor. Should the sale close at $10 billion, the Buss family would realize a profit of over $9.7 billion, adjusted for inflation.

The $10 billion valuation would blow past the recent record sale of the Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion in March to Bill Chisholm. That surpassed the then-record $6.05 billion in February 2024, held by Josh Harris.

In the most recent Forbes valuation, the Lakers were ranked #3 at $7.1 billion, meaning the market value of the club far exceeds the valuation.

According to Forbes, Walter has a real-time net worth $6.1 billion.

RECENT NBA HEADLINE SALE PRICES

• ??? – Portland Trail Blazers
• 2025 (Pending) – Los Angeles Lakers – $10 billion to Mark Walter
• 2025 – Boston Celtics – $6.1 billion to Bill Chisholm
• 2022 – Phoenix Suns – $4 billion to Mat Ishbia
• 2019 – Brooklyn Nets – $3.3 billion to Joe Tsai
• 2017 – Houston Rockets – $2.2 billion to Tilman Fertitta
• 2014 – Los Angeles Clippers – $2 billion to Steve Ballmer