ToplineIncreased AI adoption will boost the live events industry and continue to raise sports team valuations, the head of JPMorgan Chase’s asset and wealth management division argued at the 2026 Forbes Iconoclast Summit on Wednesday, calling sports “the antithesis of AI.”File photo: Mary Callahan Erdoes at the 2024 Forbes Iconoclast Summit.Getty ImagesKey FactsMary Callahan Erdoes attributed sports valuations “going so high” to AI, predicting that we should “continue to see that raise.”The FIFA World Cup, which kicks off this month, will lead to a “summer reset,” boosting excitement and investment prospects, she explained. The average value of the soccer teams on Forbes’ 2026 ranking increased 21% compared to last year, hitting a record $2.4 billion. When Forbes launched its ranking of the 50 most valuable sports teams in 2010, Manchester United led at $1.83 billion—but since 2025, the least valuable teams on the ranking are worth $5.4 billion each.Last season, Barça became the second soccer club ever to surpass $1 billion in revenue, after Real Madrid. Crucial Quote“The antithesis of AI is all sports, and for every moment that AI is going to take over and the agents are going to rule the world, you are left with craving live events and entertainment,” said Callahan Erdoes during her conversation with SoftBank Vision Funds’ Alex Clavel, Mubadala Capital CIO Oscar Fahlgren, and Baroness Dambisa Moyo of the UK’s House of Lords. Big Number$9.5 billion. That’s the estimated value of Real Madrid, the most valuable soccer team in the world. The 30 clubs on our 2026 Forbes ranking are worth a combined $87 billion.Key Background The fifth annual Forbes Iconoclast summit took place in New York City Wednesday morning. The summit brings together the world’s most influential investors and financiers with over $20 trillion in total assets under management. This year’s speakers include Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio, Carlyle CEO Harvey Schwartz, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, and new billionaire David Beckham.Further ReadingThe Forbes Iconoclast 50 2026 List: Top Leaders Making Impacts (Forbes)