The Buss family was known as the majority owners of the Los Angeles Lakers until 2025. Purchased by the late Jerry Buss in the 1970s, his 66% stake in the basketball team was passed on to his children in a trust. His daughter Jeanie Buss became the governor and representative of the Lakers as the team became a dominant force in the NBA. And as with the success of any sports franchise, the Buss family’s net worth grew along with the Lakers’ fortune.
Just months before selling the Lakers, Jeanie spoke to NPR about the Netflix series Running Point and opened up about her experience continuing a family business. ( Running Point parodies Jeanie’s life and career.)
“Most businesses in this country are family businesses. And everyone has a family,” Jeanie pointed out. “If you’re in business with them, disagreements happen. But at the end of the day, what unites you is the team or the company, and you want to create something successful. … When you’re on the business side of a team, you have obligations to your partners, which means your banks, your sponsors, your fans. You have to be accountable for the product that you sold them on, that you have to deliver.”
Below, find out how much the Buss family is worth now that they reportedly sold the Lakers in a billion-dollar sale.
I just spoke to my sister Jeanie Buss to tell her congratulations and how happy I am for her and her family. I told her that her father, Dr. Buss, would be so proud of her for getting $10 billion for the Lakers, the largest sports franchise sale in history!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@magicjohnson) June 18, 2025
How much did Jerry Buss buy the Lakers for?
According to multiple outlets, Jerry purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million in 1979. That amount is worth approximately $300 million in 2025.
What is the Buss family net worth?
Thanks to Jerry’s career and the Busses’ ownership of the Lakers, the family has a significant net worth. Jerry’s net worth is $700 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, while Jeanie’s fortune is currently $1 billion, per Celebrity Net Worth .
How much are the Lakers worth?
The Lakers are reportedly worth $10 billion since the team sold for that. In October 2024, Forbes estimated the team’s value at an estimated $7.1 billion. The outlet reported that the Lakers’ revenue was over $500 million, while their “operating income” was only $200 million.
Who bought the Lakers?
Multiple outlets broke the news in June 2025 that Mark Walter had bought the Lakers for $10 billion.
