Steve Ballmer Named Richest Owner in American Team Sports by Forbes
Steve Ballmer might be new to owning a professional sports team, but he is already at the top of the list in one category: net worth.
Kerry A. Dolan of Forbes released the 2014 list of the 400 richest Americans, starting with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who is worth more than $81 billion. While the rest of the list included billionaires from a variety of fields, sports owners had a large presence throughout.
According to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com, Ballmer was the highest American sports owner on the list after purchasing the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this year. The former Microsoft CEO is reportedly worth $22.5 billion and is the 18th-richest person in the United States.
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| 1 | Steve Ballmer | $22.5 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2 | Paul Allen | $17 | Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers |
| 3 | Phil Anschutz | $11.1 | Los Angeles Kings |
| 4 | Micky Arison | $6.4 | Miami Heat |
| 5 | Rich DeVos | $6 | Orlando Magic |
| 6 | Stephen Ross | $6 | Miami Dolphins |
| 7 | Stan Kroenke | $5.7 | Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, Arsenal |
| 8 | Terry Pegula | $4.6 | Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills |
| 9 | Shahid Khan | $4.5 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 10 | Ted Lerner | $4.5 | Washington Nationals |
The 58-year-old spent $2 billion on the Clippers after the NBA's Board of Governors, at commissioner Adam Silver's behest, was preparing to force former owner Donald Sterling to sell the team back in May. After completing the deal in August, Ballmer issued a statement, via NBA.com:
"I am humbled and honored to be the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. Clipper fans are so amazing. They have remained fiercely loyal to our franchise through some extraordinary times. I will be hard core in giving the team, our great coach, staff and players the support they need to do their best work on the court. And we will do whatever necessary to provide our fans and their families with the best game-night experience in the NBA.
"
With Ballmer clearly possessing plenty of money to pour into the team, it appears as though the Clippers are in good shape under their new management.
Meanwhile, Ballmer was just one of a number of team owners cracking the list of richest Americans. Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen was the second-wealthiest owner at $17 billion, ranking 27th overall on the list.
Phil Anschutz comes in third with a net worth of $11.1 billion. He owns both the Los Angeles Kings and the Staples Center, which houses the Kings, Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.
Fourteen majority NFL owners have earned a spot on the list, including high-profile ones like Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots. Terry Pegula, who recently purchased the Buffalo Bills, also owns the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and comes in at No. 110 on the overall list.
Based on Forbes' list, it's clear that owners of American sports teams are making a huge name for themselves.
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