Celebrities have found a different way to get involved in sports: franchise ownership.
From minor-league baseball to the majors, from English soccer clubs to NFL franchises, celebrity owners are everywhere you look.
Below are celebrities who own sports teams
Will Smith
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Will is a popular award-winning American actor. The superstar is one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood.
He and his wife, Jada Pinkett, own shares of the Philadelphia 76ers, a professional basketball team
Justin Timberlake
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Justin is a famous songwriter and actor. He is among the best-selling musicians in the world.
Timberlake joined Tennmann Group LLC, the ownership group of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012 to acquire a portion of the team.
Jay-Z
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Jay-Z only owns 1% of the franchise, which he purchased for approximately (only) 4.5 million dollars. He was the custodian of the tiny shares from 2003 to 2013
In 2013 he sold his stake to avoid a potential conflict of interest as a player agent.
Nelly
Team: Hornets
Cornell Haynes Jr., famously known as Nelly, signed up to be a minority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) back in 2004
The price of the deal of percentage of the deal was undisclosed
Usher
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Usher has always been a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2016 when the team won the NBA championship, Usher was so excited, and fans were amazed because he was originally from Atlanta.
The pop singer is a minority owner in the Cavs. He got involved in the franchise acquisition in 2005 for $9 million.
Bill Maher
Team: New York Mets
TV personality and comedian Maher owns roughly 4% of the total shares of the New York Mets.
In 2012, the TV personality and comedian joined a group that each paid $20 million for small ownership in the New York Mets.
The deal assisted the Wilpon family, who controlled the bulk of the franchise, in raising funds after suffering financial losses due to the Bernie Madoff scam.
According to the New York Post, Maher saw a threefold return on his investment when Steve Cohen acquired the Mets in 2020.
Michelle Williams
Team: Chicago Sky
Michelle Williams is a TV, Broadway and West End theatre actress and a famous Destiny child crew member.
She was a minority owner of the Chicago Sky.
Bill Murray
Teams: Hudson Valley Renegades, Charleston RiverDogs & Brockton Rox
His love for minor league baseball motivates him to own three teams – Hudson Valley Renegades, Charleston RiverDogs and the Brockton Rox.
Michael B. Jordan
Team: AFC Bournemouth
The “Creed” crooner is also one of the celebrities involved in sports franchise acquisition. He reportedly owns a minority share of the English football team, AFC Bournemouth.
The deal’s worth is undisclosed, but Jordan is a franchise owner with the club.
David Letterman
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
David joined Bobby Rahal to start the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. It now competes in the IndyCar and SportsCar Championship Series and wins the Indy 500 in 2004 and 2020.
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