Jerry Reinsdorf
Net worth: $1.6 billion
Owns: Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox
Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf began working as an IRS tax lawyer and has since been running both teams for 25 years. He got rich not through his work as a CPA but through his involvement with real estate.
He would sell a property and then loan it out, getting around the tax deduction from the property’s depreciation in value. This clever trick earned him his billions and allowed him to buy the Bulls team in 1985 which had been having a hard time then until he changed them for the better.
Mark Attanasio
Net worth: $700 million
Owns: Milwaukee Brewers
Bronx-born entrepreneur Mark Attanasio was once a student of Brown University and then of Columbia Law School where he earned his J.D. in 1982. Though he lives and earns his wealth in Los Angeles, he is the MLB team the Milwaukee Brewers. He serves as the senior executive of Trust Co. of the West and Crescent Capital.
The finance industry takes all the credit for being the main source of his wealth. He bought the Brewers from the family of MLB commissioner Bud Selig. Selig was hesitant, but the MLB team soon confirmed the deal amounting to $223 million.
Stuart Sternberg
Net worth $800 million
Owns: Tampa Bay Rays
Brooklyn-born Wall Street investor Stuart Sternberg is the owner and managing general partner of the MLB team the Tampa Bay Rays since November 2005. He began his professional career in the stock market while he was still a college student, soon becoming a member of the investment company Spear, Leads & Kellogg.
He later made his way over to Goldman Sachs as a partner and earned his wealth through his many investments there. He has since retired from the firm in 2002 and directs much of his efforts to running the Rays.
Robert Nutting
Net worth: $1.1 billion
Owns: Pittsburgh Pirates
Wheeling-born Robert “Bottom Line Bob” Nutting is the sixth sports team owner to claim ownership over the MLB team the Pittsburgh Pirates, making his way onto a brief owner’s list. He has earned his nickname from his capitalistic preference to prioritize profit over product competition.
He serves as the CEO of the media group Ogden Newspapers, Inc. and the owner of the Seven Springs Mountain Resort ski resort. He is recognized as the tenth wealthiest sports team owner in Major League Baseball.
Art Rooney II
Net worth: $1.2 billion
Owns: Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)
Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II obtained ownership over the team in 2003 after a long time working as a member of the team’s board of directors and after the deaths of his grandfather and father. The team has since claimed two Super Bowl titles and three AFC Championship victories.
The 66-year-old family man is a married father to four children and is active in his community. Aside from his work in the sports industry, he also serves as counsel at the Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney law group.
Fred Wilpon
Net worth: $500 million
Owns: New York Mets (MLB)
The 82-year-old real estate entrepreneur Fred Wilpon is a major shareholder in the MLB team the New York Mets. Jeff, one of his three children, stands as the team’s COO.
Fred was ensnared in the epic Bernie Madoff Ponzi plan in 2008, worrying the fans who think that he might have to let go of the team. The experience cost him a staggering $700 million which surely ripped a huge hole in the team’s wallet.
Patrick Dennis Bowlen
Net worth: $1 billion
Owns: Denver Broncos (NFL)
Denver Broncos principal owner Patrick Dennis Bowlen stood in as the franchise’s CEO since the deal happened in 1984, but he later gave up the position in 2014 because of the progressive state of his Alzheimer’s condition. With the Broncos under his wing during those thirty years, the team brought home many victories that include two Super Bowls and two AFC titles.
He didn’t peacefully handle the team though. Bowlen would sell shares of the group to John Elway, triggering a protest from the previous owner Edgar Kaiser and sending the dispute to court. The trial ended in 2008 in favor of Bowlen whose sale has been deemed official.
John W. Henry
Net worth: $2.7 billion
Owns: Boston Red Sox (MLB), Roush Fenway Racing (NASCAR)
The Boston Globe owner John W. Henry made his way into the business of MLB when he bought a small share of the Red Sox’s rival the Yankees in 1991. With Henry as their owner, the Sox overcame the “Curse of the Bambino”, claiming the 2004 World Series after 86 fruitless years, as well as three other championship victories. He claimed his victor as a NASCAR team owner during his first year in the league, with his team following two years after with a Daytona 500 victory.
Henry has been featured in the award-winning movie Moneyball and has also sold his Florida estate for $15 million, which was $10 million than the price he bought it for.
Stephen Ross
Net worth: $7.7 billion
Owns: Miami Dolphins
Real estate developer Stephen Ross owns 95% of the NFL team The Miami Dolphins and is the man behind the Drone Racing League. He got his wealth from his global real estate group The Related Companies which he launched in 1972.
The Hard Rock Stadium owner was once a student at the University of Michigan and then at Wayne State University where he earned his J.D. He was also awarded an LLM from NYU. His group constructed the Time Warner Center.