For the second time in as many years, the Los Angeles Lakers are being sold.
Dodgers owner Mark Walter, currently under federal investigation for fraud, is selling his majority stake in the team to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner at a team valuation of $12.5 billion. The deal will need final approval from the NBA’s board of governors. ESPN first reported the news Wednesday.
Kushner, 41, has a famous last name. His brother, Jared, is married to U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka; their father, Charles, built his fortune as a real estate developer and is the U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco.
The billionaire was thrust into the sports spotlight in late July when his holding company, Thrive Eternal, was announced as the anticipated lead investor of FIFA’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. The failed proposal for FIFA Forward Enterprise sought $4.2 billion from outside investors, and Thrive Eternal was the only investor officially tied to the deal.
Falling under the umbrella of Kushner’s venture capital firm Thrive Capital, Thrive Eternal was founded in April when it acquired a stake in the San Francisco Giants. Kushner became a minority owner of the Miami Heat in late 2024. Before that, he owned a piece of the Memphis Grizzlies. Kushner and Iger had previously been tied to a possible NBA expansion team in Las Vegas.
