In June 2025, the Buss family reached an agreement to sell their majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to billionaire financier Mark Walter for a staggering £7.87 billion ($10 billion). This is the most expensive sports franchise sale in US history, far surpassing the previous record held by the Boston Celtics' sale earlier this year for £4.79 billion ($6.1 billion). To put the figure in perspective, the late Dr Jerry Buss acquired the Lakers in 1979 for just $67.5 million (approximately £53 million at the time), which is equivalent to around $315 million today when adjusted for inflation, a fraction of today's eye-watering price.
Who Is Mark Walter and Why Does He Matter?
