Forbes: Denver Broncos Expected to Be Sold for $4.5B to Walmart Heir Rob Walton

Rob Walton has the winning bid to purchase the Denver Broncos for $4.5 billion, according to Mike Ozanian of Forbes.

The sale, which is expected to be formally announced as soon as this month, would be the largest of any sports franchise in history.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the process is ongoing and that "no favorite has emerged at this time."

Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune, has an estimated net worth of $59.1 billion, per Forbes, making him the 22nd-richest person in the world. The 77-year-old is the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton and served as the company's chairman from 1992 to 2015.

His daughter, Carrie, and son-in-law, Greg Penner, would also join the ownership group.

The sale would blow away the NFL record set in 2018 when David Tepper purchased the Carolina Panthers for $2.275 billion. A consortium led by Todd Boehly set a new worldwide record last month when it bought the Premier League club Chelsea for $3.2 billion.

The Broncos were valued at $3.75 billion by Forbes last year, but a bidding war has raised the price.

Mike Klis of 9News previously reported the known candidates, including Philadelphia 76ers governor Josh Harris:

It created a major increase from the $78 million that Pat Bowlen spent on the franchise in 1984.

After Bowlen died in 2019, a legal dispute among his children led to the sale of the team, which was announced by the Pat Bowlen Trust in February.

Rob Walton appears poised to take over a franchise with a rich history and three Super Bowl titles, the most recent coming in the 2015 season.