As of March, when Forbes locked in net worths for the 2022 World’s Billionaires list, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had reclaimed his title as the richest sports team owner on earth. ForbesBillionaires
t has been a tumultuous start to 2022 for Roman Abramovich, the soon-to-be former owner of the Premier League’s Chelsea FC. In the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian oligarchs across the globe have seen their assets seized and their business interests sanctioned, and Abramovich has been no exception. Amid rumors of retribution, Abramovich announced he would sell his beloved soccer club—which he bought for $190 million in 2003 andrecently —and donate the proceeds to charity.
That alone knocks Abramovich out of the billionaire owner’s box. For the first time in six years, he is not one of the world’s richest sports team owners. But the Russian-Ukraine conflict has taken a much larger toll on his fortune . Abramovich, whoestimated was worth nearly $15 billion in January, has seen his wealth decline to $6.9 billion.
Abramovich isn’t the only one hurting. Rampant inflation and a volatile market have cost team owners with public holdings like Daniel Gilbert and Masayoshi Son more than half of their fortunes. But despite the headwinds, the collective wealth of the world’s ten richest sports team owners was more or less flat this year, at $353 billion, thanks to a few big gainers.
from crypto companies, gambling operators and sports data providers accelerates the recovery from pandemic-driven losses.locked in net worths for the 2022 World’s Billionaires list, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had reclaimed his title as the richest sports team owner on earth. Thanks to Microsoft’s surging stock, the former CEO of the tech giant is 33% richer this year, worth an estimated $91.
Just outside the top ten is real estate and sports magnate Stan Kroenke, whose estimated $10.7 billion net worth leaves him $200 million short of these elite ranks, despite his owning the world’s