Apollo Global Management co-founder Josh Harris has joined the ranks of National Football League owners following the purchase of the Washington Commanders. The transaction, completed in 2023, marks the latest entry into the league's billionaire-dominated ownership landscape.
The article, compiled by Athlon Sports, details the net worth of current NFL team owners, with the lowest valuation for a controlling owner listed at $1.2 billion. The Green Bay Packers are noted as the league's only "publicly" owned team, where shareholders hold ceremonial stakes that cannot be sold or yield dividends.
At the top of the list is Rob Walton, who ranks as the richest owner with a net worth of $130.6 billion. Walton, the son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, controls the Denver Broncos. David Tepper, a hedge fund manager, ranks second with a net worth of $28.5 billion, largely derived from his junk-bond-focused firm, Appaloosa Management.
Harris's wealth is tied to his role as a co-founder of Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO). He worked at the firm from 1990 until stepping down in 2022. The article highlights that Harris is one of several NFL owners with direct connections to major publicly traded companies. Other owners mentioned include Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot (NYSE: HD), and the Johnson brothers, heirs to Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ).
The article also notes the connection between the Detroit Lions' owner, Sheila Ford Hamp, and the automotive industry, as her father was William Clay Ford Sr., a grandson of Henry Ford, and her mother is an heir to the Firestone tire company.
