The St. Paul Saints: Bill Murray
The St. Paul Saints is a team whose ownership group includes actor and comedian Bill Murray, noted for his deadpan style. There was great uncertainty about what would happen to independent leagues, notably the Saints, due to the full-scale restructure of Minor League Baseball in 2021.
On November 11, 2020, it was also announced that the Saints were a leading candidate to become the Twins' next Triple-A affiliate. The $20 million price necessary for affiliation was thought to be the biggest impediment to a transaction. The overall compensation for a team's complete 22-person roster is capped at $115,000 per year in that league.
Nashville Soccer Club: Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon joined the Major League Soccer team's ownership group, together with her husband Jim Toth. This actress showed off their new personalized soccer jerseys on social media, recording a video of herself and her husband, Jim Toth.
This new Nashville Soccer Club owner posted "One Nashville, Under Gold!" in a caption for this video on Instagram. As a native of Tennessee, she is overjoyed to see how far her home state has progressed. She goes on to express how grateful she is to be a member of the Nashville Soccer Club family. The new stadium in Nashville cost the hefty sum of $345 million and the team officially started playing in 2020.
The Memphis Grizzlies: Justin Timberlake
It's gonna be May! This '90s pop icon from NSYNC owns part of a Basketball team in Tennessee. Staying savvy with his funds, and in support of his hometown, he joined a group looking to acquire the Memphis Grizzlies. This turned out to be an excellent investment on his part.
In a group purchase from Tennmann Group, LLC, the meme, singer, actor, and well-known sports fan gained part of this NBA team based in Tennessee. In 2012, the group paid $5 million for nearly 3% of the company. Timberlake grew up in Memphis and wanted to support his hometown team. What a sweetheart.
Serena and Venus Williams
Fourteen years after purchasing their first stake in the Miami Dolphins franchise, tennis pros Serena and Venus Williams are two of the richest owners in the league. In fact, their stake has paid off, with Forbes valuing the team at $4.6 billion.
In 2009, the sisters became the first black women to purchase and own an NFL team. These two aren't shy when it comes to breaking records and making history!
South Sydney Rabbitohs: Russell Crowe
Crowe has been a co-owner of South Sydney since 2006 when he lobbied for 75% ownership with Peter Holmes à Court for $3 million. The club's members keep a quarter of the ownership. They have together contributed almost $11 million. Since the first game as an owner, he has been an active member of the South Sydney family.
His ventures have taken many forms, from inviting other celebrities like Tom Cruise to be with the team to spending a whopping $42,000 for a historic timekeeper's bell used in the first rugby league match in Australia at a fundraiser to help set up a fighting fund for the club.
The Texas Rangers: George W. Bush
George W. Bush is a $50 million net worth American politician, businessman, and author. Though I believe most of us know him as the 43rd President of the United States of America. On April 21, 1989, Bush and his associates paid $86 million to Chiles for this franchise.
Bush borrowed $500,000 from a Midland bank where he formerly worked as a director to fund his ownership in the Rangers. He then had a 1.8 percent stake in the Rangers. He eventually added $106,302 to his investment. The Texas Rangers were valued at about $2.05 billion in 2022. Between 2021 and 2022, the value of this Major League Baseball club increased by 14.85%. Wowza!
The Cleveland Cavaliers: Usher
Usher decided to try his hand at sports and business in 2005. As a result of his basketball passion, he chose to invest in the Cleveland Cavaliers. This turned out to be a worthwhile investment for him. Usher, the multi-Platinum recording artist, is now a minority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Usher would see one of the most legendary triumphs in NBA history 11 years later when they won the championship title in 2016. Usher was quick to post a picture of his ring on Instagram. Forbes reports that Usher spent $9 million for a 1% stake in the squad. The Cavaliers are now worth more than a billion dollars.
Los Angeles Football Club: Will Ferrell
This is not a joke. Will Ferrell, the actor, and comedian is a co-owner of the Los Angeles Football Club. When Will Ferrell owns your team, you get a lot of cool privileges. Since the club's inception in 2018, Ferrell has been a visible ambassador for it — partaking in podcasts and promoting the team.
LAFC has emerged as an MLS powerhouse, taking home the Supporters' Shield in a record-breaking season in 2019. Ferrell's participation has given the LAFC players the opportunity to meet some of the other big-name celebs he's brought around, including fellow actor Matthew McConaughey. LAFC is the most valuable MLS team, valued at $860 million.
The Chicago Sky: Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams is a minority owner of the Women's National Basketball Association's Chicago Sky. Williams, Destiny's Child vocalist, composer, and performer is a Rockford, Illinois native and resident. She has made numerous successful solo albums, including "Do You Know," in addition to being a member of one of the best-selling female ensembles of all time.
The Chicago Sky is the second WNBA franchise to be owned and operated by a non-NBA entity. This club is led by NBA Hall of Famer, General Manager, and Head Coach Dave Cowens. It is not associated with the National Basketball Association (NBA) counterpart, unlike many other WNBA clubs. Chicago Sky Officials say they have annual revenue of $18.4M.
The Jenner Racing team: Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner has been a step-parent to Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and Rob Kardashian for almost two decades. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Caitlyn Jenner has a net worth of $100 million. Caitlyn Jenner owns the Jenner Racing team in the W Series, which debuted in Miami in May of 2022. Caitlyn Jenner is without a doubt the most well-known owner in the all-female formula-style race series.
Jenner is no newcomer to racing. She has a lengthy history as both a competitor (with approximately 60 IMSA starts) and a fan of different sorts of racing, including trans am and sports car efforts. Her two best achievements were winning the Long Beach Grand Prix celebrity race in 1979 and finishing second in the 24 Hours of Daytona with co-driver Scott Pruett in 1980.
The Las Vegas Raiders: Sandra Douglass Morgan
Sandra Douglass Morgan has done quite a lot with her life. She started as a litigation attorney for The Mirage in Las Vegas. Bet she saw some pretty crazy stuff. Then, she was the city attorney for North Las Vegas from 2008 to 2016 – not to mention she was the first African American to hold such a role in Nevada.
Now she can add owning a sports team to her belt. On July 7th, 2022, she became the Las Vegas Raiders team president. This made her the first black female team president in the National Football League. It seems like there’s nothing this woman can’t do.
The Sounders: Ciara and Russell Wilson
In August 2019, the Seattle Sounders announced the addition of 11 additional families to their ownership group. Russell Wilson and Ciara were among those in the contingent. Wilson is a seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion for the NFL. Ciara is a Grammy Award-winning musician. Let me see you 1, 2 Step (here we go).
Seattle Sounders Football Team is a professional soccer club headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Sounders play in Major League Soccer's Western Conference. The club was founded on November 13, 2007, and debuted as an MLS expansion franchise in 2009. Forbes ranked the Sounders as the third-most valuable MLS team in 2018, with a valuation of $310 million.
Philadelphia 76ers: Will and Jada Smith
Now, this is a story all about how their life got flipped turned upside down. The Philadelphia 76ers franchise is worth an estimated $2.45 billion US dollars! To summarize, any business-savvy individual would be prudent to invest. In 2011, the Smiths bought a minority share in the 76ers, Will's hometown team.
The power couple bought a piece of the squad when Comcast-Spectacor sold it to a group of investors led by multibillionaire Joshua Harris. This Academy Award nominee and his wife, Jada, became the majority owners of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you made an excellent investment!
Miami Dolphins: Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Serena and Venus Williams, and Fergie
The Dolphins are Florida's oldest professional sports franchise. The Miami Dolphins' franchise worth in 2021 was around $3.42 billion US dollars. According to the Dolphins, Serena and Venus Williams are the first female African-Americans to possess a major interest in an NFL team. As of 2022, there are no African-American majority owners in the league.
Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio, have also joined the Dolphins' ownership group as minority shareholders. Estefan, who was born in Cuba, claims she has been a "hardcore" Dolphins fan since the team's undefeated season in 1972.
It was not disclosed how much of a stake Fergie, a California native, has invested in the team. This team is well-known for having numerous celebrity investors, which may explain why it appears frequently in Hollywood films.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an iconic American comedian. For 33 years, he hosted late-night television talk shows. The former Late Night presenter is such a fan of the IndyCar Series that he is a co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Legend David Letterman met Rahal after his 1986 Indy 500 victory. The team name was changed from Rahal Hogan Racing to Team Rahal in 1996.
In 2004, Letterman's name was added to the team's name, and it became known as Rahal Letterman Racing. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has been the team's name since 2011. This team's net value is around $1.15 million. Bobby Rahal brought then-named Rahal Hogan Racing its first victory in Round 2 in Phoenix in 1992 and went on to win three more times in Detroit, New Hampshire, and Nazareth to capture Rahal's third IndyCar Series title and the team's first. How time flies when you're having fun.
Charlotte Hornets (formerly the Bobcats): Nelly and Michael Jordan
Hot in Herre! Nelly, a three-time Grammy winner and St. Louis native, joined this team as a minority shareholder in 2004. Most fans are unaware that the original Hornets relocated to New Orleans after the 2002 season. Charlotte was granted a new franchise, the Bobcats, in 2004. Nelly was in an ideal position to invest in his dream. Smart man! After the 2013–14 season, the Bobcats renamed themselves the Hornets and reclaimed the Hornets' history and records from 1988 to 2002.
This is all thanks to Michael Jordan. Charlotte basketball fans wanted the Hornets nickname back, so His Airness made it happen. According to Forbes' Mike Ozanian, Jordan boosted his ownership position in the Charlotte Hornets from 80% to 89.5%, putting him beyond the billionaire threshold. The Hornets are allegedly worth between $600 million and $625 million. Jordan's financial worth is mostly derived from his ownership of the great majority of this franchise. Thus, it stands to reason that he wants only the finest on this squad. "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." - Michael Jordan
MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers and WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks: Magic Johnson
Despite the fact that he is through with basketball, Magic is not finished with life. The four-time NBA champion had always been an entrepreneur and has shifted his focus to advocacy and business. Magic Johnson Enterprises, a $700 million firm, is led by Johnson. He headed the Guggenheim Baseball Management company in its $2.5 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012. By 2022, the Los Angeles Dodgers had an estimated value of 4.08 billion U.S. dollars. Bravo, sir!
Magic Johnson and Mark R. Walter, majority owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, headed an investment group that purchased the WNBA franchise Los Angeles Sparks in 2014. The deal was authorized by the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors unanimously. The Los Angeles Sparks are valued at an estimated $141 million. We're sure that value will only rise with Magic on the team.