For a transaction worth around ten billion US dollars, Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter has purchased the Los Angeles Lakers in the most expensive deal in American sports history. Since 1979, the Buss family, who have owned the majority stake in the 17-time NBA champions, sold the Lakers.

The majority stake in the Lakers owned by the Buss family has been sold to Walter's holding company, TWG Global, according to ESPN. Having purchased a sizable chunk of former stakeholder Philip Anschutz's ownership in 2021, Walter now owns 20% of the Lakers.

As the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball since 2012, the CEO of the investment company Guggenheim Partners now holds a large amount of influence over the majority of the sports market in Los Angeles. Walter has revitalized the Dodgers since he bought them, leading them to multiple World Series trips and two championships in 2020 and 2024.

The Los Angeles Sparks, which Walter also owns, won the WNBA championships in 2016 and 2017 under his leadership. Beyond the American sports scene, Walter also owns a little less than 13% of the football club since Roman Abramovic sold Chelsea FC in the English Premier League in 2022. He was also an investor alongside Todd Boehly when the latter bought Chelsea FC. The Cadillac F1 team, which will compete at the top level of the sport in 2026, is also owned by Walter.

Jeanie Buss to remain in her role as the governor of the Lakers

The Buss family is anticipated to maintain around 15% ownership in the Lakers, and current team governor Jeanie Buss is expected to stay in that role for the foreseeable future. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million, and the franchise experienced its most successful period, which included the 'Showtime Lakers' of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as the legendary Shaq-and-Kobe teams of the early 2000s.

Despite the sale of the majority ownership to Walter and TWG Global, Jeanie Buss, who assumed control of the team in 2013 following her father's passing, is anticipated to continue to have a significant role in the franchise's daily operations.

With the Lakers beating their fierce rivals the Boston Celtics, who were reportedly sold for 6 billion US dollars earlier this year, the 10 billion dollar transaction establishes a new benchmark for American sports franchise values. They join Walter's portfolio of sports franchises as possibly the most recognizable brand in the NBA, and they will be hoping for a similar boost to what their cross-town rivals in the MLB and WNBA have seen.

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