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What happens when you have more wealth than it’s ever possible to spend in your lifetime, accompanied by a love for sports? That’s right, for better or worse, invest in a sports team. Although few entrepreneurial investors are likely to ever make any financial profits from their sporting investments, what they are doing is funding into something they love.
For these billionaires, amongst the wealthiest people in the world, bankrolling their favorite sports team is perhaps one way of paying it forward, investing their money and support for not just a team, but also the communities surrounding the sporting organizations they’ve backed.
Philip Anschutz, USA
Teams: Los Angeles Kings, LA Galaxy
Considered “the man who saved MLS” when the competition was struggling financially and an original co-founder of the competition, at one point he owned most of the franchises, helping to keep them afloat. These days he owns LA Galaxy and also has a vested interest in NBA basketball teams, as owner of the Los Angeles Kings and as a stakeholder of the Los Angeles Lakers. Via the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the 79-year-old is the world’s leading owner of teams, events and venues, having invested in multiple sporting franchises, stadiums and competitions over the years.
Hasso Plattner, Germany
Teams: San Jose Sharks
Co-founder of the SAP SE software company, and despite still living in Germany with his family, Plattner inevitably had strong ties with the tech industry and Silicon Valley, maintaining his links to California with a love of sports. Not only does he own the CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, but also via San Jose Sports and Entertainment Enterprises, he is owner of the San Jose Sharks ice hockey team. Since acquiring full ownership of the NHL team, they have achieved some of their best ever seasons with his backing, including the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016.
Dietrich Mateschitz, Austria
Teams: NY Red Bulls, RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, Red Bull Racing, Torro Rosso Honda
While it’s fair to say that most fans back their teams by purchasing tickets to games and merchandise, or wagering on results via the best American sports betting sites at BonusFinder.com here, few can lay claim to such a profound passion for sports and outdoor pursuits than Dietrich Mateschitz. Co-founder of the Red Bull energy drinks company, he has successfully combined his commercial enterprise through the branded sponsorship and acquisition of sporting teams. Although the renaming of soccer teams has caused some controversy amongst fans, most are satisfied with his backing of their clubs. Mateschitz has also sponsored and financially backed a wide variety of extreme sports, including some of the most outrageous events around, like volcano boarding and and crocodile bungee.
Steve Bullmer, USA
Teams: Los Angeles Clippers
While there are many wealthy owners and investors of sports teams who prefer to remain in the background, quietly providing financial support without fanfare or fuss, this is not the case with Steve Ballmer. The former Microsoft CEO already had big plans for his retirement, which included the $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA side in 2014. Ballmer enjoys the sport and his team so much, he was super-hyped when he presented two new player signings in July of this year, filled with enthusiasm that led to videos of the presentation going viral on social networks, and the creation of more than a few amusing memes.
Mukesh Ambani, India
As the richest man in India and Asia according to Forbes, not to mention one of the wealthiest people in the world with a net worth of $55.8 billion in 2019, like most of his fellow countrymen, Mukesh Ambani is a hugely passionate fan of cricket. When the Indian Premier League was formed in 2008, he also founded the Mumbai Indians as one of the founder members of the competition, who have become not only the most valuable franchise amongst all the Indian cricket teams, they’re also the most successful team with 4 IPL titles. Whenever 62-year-old Ambani isn’t directing operations at Reliance Industries, the source of his wealth, it’s pretty certain that he’ll be avidly watching cricket, somewhere.
