Sports owners filled the annual list of the 400 richest Americans published by Forbes magazine on Monday, including new Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who at a net worth of $22.5 billion is the richest American owner of a sports team.
Ballmer, who spent 34 years at Microsoft, bought the Clippers in August from Donald and Shelly Sterling for $2 billion, after they were essentially forced to sell following Sterling's much-publicized racist comments. Ballmer is the 18th-richest American.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who owns both the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks, came in as the second-richest sports owner with a net worth of $17 billion (27th on the list), while Phil Anschutz, who owns both the Los Angeles Kings and the Staples Center where Ballmer's Clippers play, rounds out the top three, with a net worth of $11.1 billion.
Floridian sports owners have a heavy presence on the list, including Miami Heat owner Micky Arison ($6.4 billion), Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos ($6 billion), Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ($6 billion) and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan ($4.5 billion).
NHL owner Stan Kroenke, who owns the Colorado Avalanche as well as the St. Louis Rams, Denver Nuggets, the Arsenal soccer team and the Colorado Rapids in MLS, is the 89th-richest American with a net worth of $5.7 billion, says Forbes.
Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, who just bought the Buffalo Bills for an NFL-record $1.4 billion, has a net worth of $4.6 billion.
The richest majority owner of a Major League Baseball team is Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner, who is said to be worth $4.5 billion. Texas Rangers owner Ray Davis comes in second at $3.1 billion.
The NFL, not surprisingly, has the most owners on the Richest 400 Americans list, with 14 majority owners. This includes Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ($4.2 billion), New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft ($4 billion), Baltimore Ravens owner Stephen Bisciotti ($2.6 billion), Houston Texans owner Bob McNair ($2.4 billion), Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank ($2.2 billion), Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam ($1.8 billion), Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay ($1.7 billion), Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder ($1.7 billion) and New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson ($1.6 billion).
Other team owners who made the cut include Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert ($4.2 billion), the Dolan family, which owns both the New York Knicks and New York Rangers ($3.9 billion), Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs ($3.2 billion), Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores ($3 billion), Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera ($2.8 billion), Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban ($2.7 billion), Pittsburgh Penguins owner Ron Burkle ($2.6 billion), Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris ($2.6 billion), Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon ($2.3), Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli ($2.2 billion), new Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry ($1.8 billion), Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor ($1.7 billion) and Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola ($1.7 billion).
There's also plenty of money on the sideline. Larry Ellison, who dropped out of the Clippers bidding and has quietly expressed interest in buying the Lakers, is the third-richest American at $50 billion. Lakers minority partner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, whom Forbes calls the richest doctor in the world, is worth $12 billion, and David Geffen, whose group finished second to Ballmer in the Clippers bidding, is worth $6.7 billion.
Also on the list are the men behind sports brands and retailing giants. Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight is the 23rd-richest American with a net worth of $19.9 billion, Bass Pro Shops owner John Morris is worth $4.5 billion, Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank is worth $3 billion, and Michael Rubin, who owns Fanatics, the nation's largest online licensed sports shop, is said to be worth $2.7 billion.