Obviously, it takes a lot of money to own an NFL team, but who are the richest NFL owners and exactly how much are they worth?
We wanted the answer to these questions, so we compiled a list of the wealthiest NFL owners and the teams they owned. To be honest, the results surprised us a little.
Richest NFL owners ranked
Specifically, we were interested in the correlation between the richest NFL owners and the Super Bowl winners list or even the largest contracts in NFL history.
Are the teams with the richest NFL owners more likely to have on-field success or hand out big contracts? Let’s explore these questions and more as we look at the 10 richest owners in the NFL ranked.
10. Robert Kraft (Patriots) – $10.6 billion
While he’s not the most popular owner among most NFL fans, Robert Kraft is surely among the most successful. He’s been the principal owner of the Patriots since 1994, overseeing New England’s dynasty throughout the first two decades of the 21st century that saw the Patriots win six Super Bowls.
Most of his $10.6 billion fortune comes from being the CEO of the Kraft Group, which has a variety of business assets, including a private equity portfolio and real estate development. At times, Kraft has been in the mix to buy the Red Sox and Celtics, although he wasn’t able to complete a deal. However, Kraft also owns the New England Revolution of MLS after founding the team in 1996.
9. Woody and Christopher Johnson (Jets) – $10.7 billion
Brothers Woody (whose real name is Robert Wood Johnson IV) and Christopher Johnson are the owners of the Jets, buying the team in 2000 after out-bidding Knicks owner James Dolan for the team.
That purchase helped to pave the way for the building of MetLife Stadium. The Johnson brothers are great-grandchildren of Robert Wood Johnson I, who was one of the three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson, making the brothers generational billionaires with the money to buy a pro sports team like the Jets. In addition to his business dealings, Woody spent four years as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. with Christopher stepping in as chairman and CEO of the Jets during that time.
8. Stephen Ross (Dolphins) – $11.6 billion
Like a few other NFL owners on our list, Stephen Ross made his fortune as a real estate developer. He founded The Related Companies in 1972, and today it has assets of over $15 billion and offices in over half a dozen cities.
In 2008, Ross bought 50% of the Dolphins and has now increased his share to 95%. While the team hasn’t had a lot of success under Ross, he has done a great job of bringing in high-profile minority owners, including Gloria Estefan and Venus and Serena Williams.
7. Shahid Khan (Jaguars) – $11.7 billion
Born in Pakistan, Shahid Khan is often called the embodiment of the American Dream. He started his own business making car bumpers and was so successful that he purchased the auto manufacturer Flex-N-Gate, where he worked in college.
Today, Flex-N-Gate has dozens of plants throughout the world and pulls in nearly $10 billion in revenue each year. Thanks to his billions, Khan was able to branch out into the sports world, owning for the Jaguars and Fulham F.C. He also owns a Jacksonville-based wrestling association called All Elite Wrestling.
6. Stan Kroenke (Rams) – $12.9 billion
Based on all of the teams that he owns, Stan Kroenke might be the biggest sports fan in the world. But in reality, he’s simply a sports fan with a lot of money from his real estate firm with a little help from marrying Ann Walton, an heiress to the Walmart fortune that we’ll mention a little later.
He became a minority owner in the Rams in 1995 when the team moved to St. Louis and became the full owner in 2010. Kroenke also owns the NBA’s Nuggets, the NHL’s Avalanche, the Colorado Rapids of MLS, Arsenal F.C., and several other entities.
5. Jerry Jones (Cowboys) – $13.6 billion
While most would have expected Jerry Jones to be at the top of this list, checking in at no. 5 isn’t such a bad thing.
He has served as the owner, president, and GM of the Cowboys since 1989 and is still going strong after turning 80 in 2022. While he’s sometimes more involved than the typical owner, Jones is clearly invested in the Cowboys and has overseen three Super Bowl wins.
He also helped the Cowboys build one of the most amazing sports venues in the world, an arena affectionally known as Jerry World after the team’s longtime owner and undisputed leader.
4. Hunt Family (Chiefs) – $15.3 billion
The Chiefs are owned by the surviving family members of the late Lamar Hunt, who is one of the most influential figures in American sports history. He was the principal founder of the AFL and also Major League Soccer.
At the time of his passing in 2006, he owned three different MLS franchises. Of course, he also owned the Chiefs, going back to 1960 when the franchise was first founded as the Dallas Texans.
Upon his passing in 2006, Lamar Hunt’s children chose Clark Hunt to handle the day-to-day responsibilities of owning the Chiefs and to be the face of the ownership group. Since Clark took over, the Chiefs have won two Super Bowls with potentially more on the horizon.
3. David Tepper (Panthers) – $18.5 billion
David Tepper is worth close to $20 billion because he’s the founder and president of a global edge fund called Appaloosa Management. However, he’s always had an interest in professional sports.
In 2009, he bought a 5% stake in the Steelers. But he went for the real thing in 2018, selling his small stake in the Steelers so he could buy the Panthers from founding owner Jerry Richardson.
He also spearheaded the efforts to bring an MLS franchise to Charlotte.
While the Panthers haven’t seen much on-field success under Tepper, he appears to be an owner who is willing to do whatever it takes to make the Panthers a consistent winner.
2. Jody Allen (Seahawks) – $20.3 billion
As the sister of the late Paul Allen, Jo Lynn “Jody” Allen is now the owner of the Seahawks. She also owns the Portland Trail Blazers and is a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders of MLS.
Of course, Paul Allen was the co-founder of Microsoft, which explains why he was worth billions upon his passing, leaving Jody to carry on his legacy. In addition to being the trustee of Paul’s estate, Jody is the co-founder and president of Vulcan Productions, a company she co-founded with Paul in the late 90s. Nowadays, Jody is focused on carrying on Paul’s legacy.
1. Walton-Penner Group (Broncos) – $59.8 billion
The Walton-Penner Group is one of the newest NFL owners, as well as the richest NFL owners. The group is headlined by S. Robson Walton, who is the eldest son of Sam Walton, the founder of both Walmart and Sam’s Club.
He is currently among the 20 richest people in the world, largely thanks to his father and the more than two decades he spent as the chairman of Walmart. The group, as a whole, has a value of close to $60 billion. The Penner part of the group comes from Greg Penner, who is the current chairman of Walmart and the face of the group. For a long time, the Broncos had a good thing going with the late Pat Bowlen. They can only hope that a new ownership group will yield similar results.