Josh Kushner, former Disney CEO purchase Lakers for record price

Josh Kushner and Bob Iger purchased the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion, the highest ever paid for an American sports team, sources told ESPN. The two made the offer after the team’s majority owner, Mark Walter, purchased the team’s controlling interest late last year, the outlet reported.

The sale marks the second time the team has changed hands in as many years, and the price beats the Lakers’ own previous record sale of $10 billion in 2025. The new record-setting prices are massive leaps from the Golden State Warriors’ 2010 record sale at $450 million. Walter said in a Wednesday statement to ESPN that the team belongs to Los Angeles, and he is confident that the best is still ahead.

Kushner, a billionaire venture-capitalist, is the younger brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, the president’s oldest daughter. Iger, a millionaire, is Disney’s former CEO, having served twice, from 2005 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2026. The two said in a statement to ESPN on Wednesday that as lifelong NBA fans, they are deeply honored to have the opportunity to become stewards of the Lakers. Luka Dončić, one of the Lakers’ leading players, said in a Wednesday statement that he looked forward to meeting Kushner and Iger and working together to build something special in Los Angeles.

Former team owner Walter is the principal owner of both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. Multiple media outlets reported last month that he is currently under federal investigation for potential tax fraud, according to the Associated Press.