Bob Iger and Josh Kushner buy Lakers for record $12.5 billion
The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, according to ESPN. The price is the highest ever paid for a U.S. sports franchise.
- 21% return: current owner Mark Walter paid a $10 billion valuation just 14 months ago.
- Kushner, 41, founded Thrive Capital, with early stakes in Instagram, Spotify, Stripe, and OpenAI.
- Iger left Disney's CEO role in March and held an advisory role at Thrive Capital.
- Walter is under federal investigation on allegations of tax fraud; no charges have been filed.
Why it matters: The sale requires NBA board of governors approval, a process that can take weeks.
- Iger and Kushner have been linked to NBA expansion bids for Las Vegas, which has no NBA team.
How 14 sources split on this story
Center coverage, 7 sources: The center frames the deal as a landmark sports-business story, emphasizing the record valuation, Iger's entertainment pedigree, and Kushner's venture capital track record.
Fortune2hJerry Buss made the Lakers Hollywood. Bob Iger and Josh Kushner reportedly bought the show for record-breaking $12.5 billion, up 21% in just 14 months | Fortune
USA Today31mBob Iger's next act: Former Disney CEO becomes Lakers co-owner
Heavy1hBob Iger’s Clippers Confession Resurfaces After $12.5 Billion Lakers Deal
Reuters55mLos Angeles Lakers é vendido por valor recorde de US$12,5 bilhões
Associated Press5hA blockbuster $12.5B deal as Josh Kushner and Bob Iger agree to buy the Lakers, AP source says
Forbes1hWhy Lakers’ Sale To Bob Iger And Josh Kushner Raises QuestionsTNDThe National Desk1hJared Kushner's brother, Bob Iger purchase the Lakers: reportsLeft coverage, 4 sources: The left notes Kushner's family ties to Jared Kushner and President Trump while also flagging Walter's ongoing federal tax fraud investigation as context for the quick sale.
MSNBC2hLakers reportedly to be sold to Josh Kushner, Bob Iger for record $12.5 billion
CNN31mWho is Josh Kushner, the billionaire who just bought the Lakers?
Los Angeles Times2hBuying Lakers makes Bob Iger's dream of owning a sports team come trueTNRThe New Republic20hDid Trump Help Jared Kushner’s Brother Buy a Basketball Team?
What’s next: The NBA board of governors meets next month in New York to consider the sale.
- Kushner's Thrive Eternal vehicle is structured to acquire stakes in sports teams long-term.
- Whether NBA expansion into Las Vegas will be formally linked to the new owners' purchase.
- How federal investigators' scrutiny of Walter affects the sale timeline or terms.
- What role, if any, Jeanie Buss or the Buss family retains after the transaction closes.