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The Buss family is reportedly entering an agreement to sell the majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers to TWG Global CEO and chairman and Los Angeles Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter for a franchise valuation of approximately $10 billion, which would be the largest sale of a professional sports franchise in the world, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday (June 18).
The reported price of $10 billion sets the previous record set during the $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics in 2025 and the $6.05 billion sale of the NFL's Washington Commanders in 2023, according to CBS Sports. Walter's purchase of the Dodgers in 2012 as part of the Guggenheim contingency ranks 12th all-time.
Walter has served as a minority stakeholder in the Lakers since 2021 and also has interests in the Los Angeles Sparks, the Billie Jean Cup, Cadillac Formula One team and the Professional Women's Hockey League. Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss, the daughter of late former owner Dr. Jerry Buss, will reportedly continue to serve her role as the team's governor after the completion of the sale, according to Charania.
"BREAKING: The Buss family is entering an agreement to sell majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter, the CEO and chairman of diversified holding company TWG Global, sources tell ESPN. Jeanie Buss will continue to serve in her role as Governor after the sale," Charania wrote. "Walter has been a minority stakeholder in the Lakers since 2021 and has interests in multiple professional sports organizations, including the LA Dodgers, WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, the Billie Jean Cup, Cadillac Formula 1 team and the Professional Women's Hockey League."
Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers from the late Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million in 1979, a deal that also included the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Forum, the team's home arena until 1999. Dr. Buss died in 2013, with his daughter taking over as the team's governor ever since.