Ballmer bought the Clippers for $2B and is now worth $132.6B — top 10 NBA owners ranked by net worth
Steve Ballmer, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, is the wealthiest sports team owner, with an estimated net worth of $132.6 billion. He turned his roughly $2 billion investment in the Clippers into a highly valuable franchise asset, far ahead of other NBA owners such as Miriam Adelson, Robert Pera, and Steve Cohen.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Top 10 NBA owners ranked by net worth: influential moguls and their empires
- 10. Tom Gores — $10 billion
- 9. Antony Ressler — $11 billion
- 8. Tilman Fertitta — $11 billion
- 7. Joe Tsai — $13 billion
- 6. Dan Gilbert — $21.6 billion
- 5. Stan Kroenke — $22.2 billion
- 4. Steve Cohen — $23 billion
- 3. Robert Pera — $31.7 billion
- 2. Miriam Adelson — $34.9 billion
- 1. Steve Ballmer — $132.6 billion
- Who is the richest NBA owner?
- How does Steve Ballmer's net worth compare to that of other team owners?
- Did the $2 billion purchase price of the Clippers prove to be a good investment?
Key takeaways
- Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer ranks at the top of the financial rankings as the wealthiest owner in professional sports, with a net worth of $132.6 billion.
- Miriam Adelson, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is the richest female NBA team owner, with a net worth of $34.9 billion.
- Other top 10 wealthiest basketball magnates have net worths ranging from $10 billion to $31.7 billion.
Top 10 NBA owners ranked by net worth: influential moguls and their empires
The following compilation of the wealthiest NBA owners is based on verified financial data from sources such as Forbes and Celebrity Net Worth. Net worth valuations are subject to market conditions, share performance, and changes in the liquidity of private assets.
Owner | Team | Estimated net worth (2026) |
Steve Ballmer | Los Angeles Clippers | $132.6 billion |
Miriam Adelson | Dallas Mavericks | $34.9 billion |
Robert Pera | Memphis Grizzlies | $31.7 billion |
Steve Cohen | New York Knicks | $23 billion |
Stan Kroenke | Denver Nuggets | $22.2 billion |
Dan Gilbert | Cleveland Cavaliers | $21.6 billion |
Joe Tsai | Brooklyn Nets | $13 billion |
Tilman Fertitta | Houston Rockets | $11 billion |
Antony Ressler | Atlanta Hawks | $11 billion |
Tom Gores | Detroit Pistons | $10 billion |
10. Tom Gores — $10 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Tom Gores
- Date of birth: 31 July 1964
- Place of birth: Nazareth, Israel
- Profession: Private equity magnate
- Team: Detroit Pistons
Tom Gores is an American investor and the CEO of Platinum Equity, a large global investment firm that he founded in 1995. He acquired over half of the Detroit Pistons in 2011 via Platinum Equity and later became the sole owner in 2015. Tom Gores' net worth is estimated to be $10 billion as of 2026.
Gores utilised his private equity expertise to fully modernise the Detroit Pistons. He relocated them to Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit and built a state-of-the-art corporate headquarters. Gores views the team as a community platform, famously telling NBA.com:
It's a new era of Pistons basketball, and we want to make sure that more people in Detroit and throughout Michigan can be part of the journey.
Pistons' executives note that Gores has never been afraid to spend. He explicitly gave the front office the green light to enter the luxury tax if a player helps the team reach a championship. Outside of basketball, Gores holds a stake in the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers.
9. Antony Ressler — $11 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Antony P. Ressler
- Date of birth: 12 October 1960
- Place of birth: Washington, D.C., USA
- Profession: Private equity investor, Financier
- Team: Atlanta Hawks
Antony Ressler brought institutional asset management discipline to the Atlanta Hawks when his group purchased the NBA team in 2015 for roughly $730 to $850 million. As the co-founder of multi-billion-dollar firms Ares Management and Apollo Global Management, he operates the Hawks with a calculated corporate structure.
Under his tenure, the franchise has undergone major commercial transformations, including the extensive revitalisation of State Farm Arena. Ressler appears on Forbes' list of global billionaires, with an estimated net worth of $11 billion as of 2026.
8. Tilman Fertitta — $11 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Tilman Joseph Fertitta
- Date of birth: 25 June 1957
- Place of birth: Galveston, Texas, USA
- Profession: Hospitality, Real estate titan
- Team: Houston Rockets
Tilman Fertitta is an American businessman and the ultimate service-industry mogul. He controls Landry's, the Golden Nugget, and luxury hospitality venues like the Post Oak Hotel. In 2017, he purchased the Rockets for a then-record $2.2 billion.
Although sceptics wondered whether a hospitality empire could withstand sports inflation, he proved them wrong when the franchise valuation surpassed $4 billion by 2026. The businessman promotes his luxury brands through the Rockets, creating high-end VIP courtside experiences that maximise arena revenue. Tilman Fertitta's net worth is estimated to be $11 billion as of 2026.
7. Joe Tsai — $13 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Joseph Chung-Hsin Tsai
- Date of birth: 28 January 1964
- Place of birth: Taipei, Taiwan
- Profession: Internet entrepreneur, sports executive
- Team: Brooklyn Nets
Joe Tsai's net worth is estimated to be $13 billion as of 2026. As the co-founder and chairman of Alibaba Group, he treats the Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA's New York Liberty as a playground for technological collaboration.
Tsai has pioneered the integration of advanced 3D virtual streaming tech, specialised sports analytics, and global digital retail strategies into Barclays Centre. His deep pockets allowed the Nets to absorb historic luxury tax bills during the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era without flinching. Tsai proved that tech-derived wealth views luxury tax penalties merely as an R&D expense.
6. Dan Gilbert — $21.6 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Daniel Gilbert
- Date of birth: 17 January 1962
- Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Profession: Fintech founder, Real estate mogul
- Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Dan Gilbert is estimated to be worth $21.6 billion as of 2026. The mastermind behind Rocket Mortgage revolutionised home lending and used the capital to alter the fabric of Ohio sports.
Buying the Cavaliers for $375 million in 2005, he famously weaponised his wealth during NBA star LeBron James' return. Gilbert aggressively spent into the luxury tax to secure the historic 2016 NBA Championship. Through Rock Ventures, Gilbert has invested billions in real estate in downtown Cleveland and Detroit.
5. Stan Kroenke — $22.2 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Enos Stanley Kroenke
- Date of birth: 29 July 1947
- Place of birth: Columbia, Missouri, USA
- Profession: Sports mogul, Real estate developer
- Team: Denver Nuggets
Stan Kroenke is the model of the modern multi-club sports enterprise and owner of the Denver Nuggets. The team is one piece of a global empire that includes the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Arsenal FC in the Premier League.
Kroenke's real estate dominance allows his franchises to achieve great financial stability. This cooperation was put on full display when the Nuggets captured the 2013 NBA Championship.
The team was backed by the top-tier operational infrastructure and sports funding that only a multi-team tycoon can provide. Stan Kroenke is estimated to be worth $22.2 billion as of 2026.
4. Steve Cohen — $23 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Steven A. Cohen
- Date of birth: 11 June 1956
- Place of birth: Great Neck, New York, USA
- Profession: Hedge fund manager, investor
- Team: New York Knicks
Steve Cohen makes waves in Major League Baseball as the owner of the New York Mets. However, his minority stake in Madison Square Garden Sports connects him to the New York Knicks. He represents the raw, quantitative hedge-fund philosophy entering professional sports as the head of Point72 Asset Management.
Cohen's presence in New York sports casts a persistent financial shadow. This keeps market valuations high and ensures that the parent companies controlling sports Arenas maintain massive financial leverage. According to Forbes, Steve Cohen's net worth is estimated to be $23 billion as of 2026.
3. Robert Pera — $31.7 billion
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Robert J. Pera
- Date of birth: 10 March 1978
- Place of birth: San Carlos, California, USA
- Profession: Technology entrepreneur
- Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Robert Pera is an American tech entrepreneur and investor who ranks among the absolute wealthiest owners in sports. Taking over the Memphis Grizzlies at just 34 years old, the Ubiquiti founder completely rewrote the rules for small-market NBA franchises.
Pera owns over 90% of his wireless networking giant, which has shielded the Grizzlies from financial constraints. His tech fortune has allowed Memphis to retain home-grown superstars without counting pennies. The young entrepreneur has an estimated net worth of $31.7 billion as of 2026.
2. Miriam Adelson — $34.9 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Miriam Adelson
- Date of birth: 10 October 1945
- Place of birth: Tel Aviv, Israel
- Profession: Medical professional, entrepreneur
- Dallas Mavericks: Las Vegas Sands
Miriam Adelson is one of the richest women in the United States. She purchased a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban for $3.5 billion.
As of 2026, Miriam has an estimated net worth of 34.9 billion. The multi-billion-dollar fortune stems from the gaming business in Las Vegas Sands, which she inherited from her late husband, Sheldon Adelson. Aside from business, she is a prominent conservative political donor and philanthropist.
1. Steve Ballmer — $132.6 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Steven Anthony Ballmer
- Date of birth: 24 March 1956
- Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Profession: Tech investor, philanthropist
- Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Steve Ballmer doesn't just top the list, but completely breaks the financial scale of global sports, with an estimated net worth of $132.6 billion as of 2026. The former Microsoft CEO bought the Los Angeles Clippers for a staggering $2 billion in 2014. Critics mocked the price as a massive overpayment at the time. Today, Forbes values the team at over $7 billion.
Ballmer's financial footprint allows him to fund massive player payrolls that would bankrupt lesser owners. He also paid for the $2 billion Intuit Dome out of his own pocket, stepping out of the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The arena was selected as the crown-jewel centrepiece of the landmark 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Who is the richest NBA owner?
Steve Ballmer is the NBA's wealthiest owner, with an estimated net worth of $132.6 billion. His immense capital reserves stem primarily from his legacy equity stakes in Microsoft.
How does Steve Ballmer's net worth compare to that of other team owners?
Steve Ballmer holds a significant multibillion-dollar lead over Miriam Adelson, the league's second-wealthiest owner, with an estimated net worth of $34.9 billion. The difference cements his unique position as a financial outlier in global sports entertainment.
Did the $2 billion purchase price of the Clippers prove to be a good investment?
While the initial $2 billion investment was deemed an overpayment in 2014, the current franchise valuations and media market growth have turned the Clippers into a premium commercial asset valued well over double its original acquisition price.
Evaluating the contemporary financial power of NBA owners demonstrates a profound transition from traditional media investments to massive technological and institutional corporate dominance. Steve Ballmer firmly leads the ranking, followed by Miriam Adelson and Robert Pera.
Legit.ng also published an article about the richest rappers in the world. Jay-Z is the richest rapper in 2026, with an estimated fortune of $2.8 billion. Other rappers with a lot of money include Dr. Dre, Berner, P. Diddy, and Drake.
Today, the richest rappers do not earn most of their wealth from hit songs or live performances alone. Instead, they have built their fortunes through major business deals, ownership of well-known brands, investments in technology companies, and ventures in real estate.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
