ToplineBillionaire investor Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger reached an agreement to buy the Los Angeles Lakers at a $12.5 billion valuation, a record-setting price tag for a U.S. sports franchise, according to multiple reports.The legacy NBA franchise was transferred from the Buss family last year at a $10 billion valuation. Getty ImagesKey FactsKushner and Iger acquired a controlling ownership stake in the Lakers from Mark Walter, who purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year at a $10 billion valuation, ESPN first reported, citing multiple sources.A deal valuing the Lakers at $12.5 billion sets the record for the largest-ever cost of a U.S. sports franchise, beating out Walter’s purchase last year and the $9.6 billion deal to sell the Seattle Seahawks to billionaire Vinod Khosla earlier this year.The pair told Forbes they are “deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers,” and Walter told ESPN his brief ownership was an “extraordinary investment.”Forbes ranked the Lakers as the second-most-valuable NBA franchise last year at $10 billion, ranking directly behind the Golden State Warriors ($11 billion) and ahead of the New York Knicks ($9.75 billion) and Los Angeles Clippers ($7.5 billion).forbes valuationJosh Kushner, the younger brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and fellow billionaire investor Jared Kushner, has an estimated net worth of $5.2 billion as of Wednesday. He founded and runs the venture capital firm Thrive Capital, which backed early startups like Instagram, Spotify, Stripe and OpenAI. Walter, the CEO of investment firm Guggenheim Partners, has a fortune estimated at $7.3 billion. Walter’s Guggenheim Baseball Management group owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, which sold for more than $2 billion in 2012. key backgroundSports franchises have emerged as an equity class among billionaires in recent years. Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban acquired a minority stake in the Athletics in July, while Tom Dundon, who acquired a majority stake in the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018, bought the Portland Trail Blazers for $4 billion in March. Walter’s deal for the Lakers followed a $6.1 billion purchase of the rival Boston Celtics by a Bill Chisholm-led group in 2025. Earlier this week, a consortium of investors that includes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos reportedly neared a deal to buy a roughly one-third stake in Liverpool F.C., after Bezos was previously linked to a bid for the Seahawks. further readingForbesJeff Bezos Nears Deal For 30% Stake In Liverpool, Report SaysBy Ty RoushForbesNBA Approves $10 Billion Lakers Sale To Dodgers Owner Mark WalterBy Antonio Pequeño IV