LOS ANGELES—Josh Kushner and Bob Iger reached an agreement to buy the Los Angeles Lakers franchise for $12.5 billion. Both Kushner and Iger are part of an ownership group.
Kushner and Iger were in the mix for the expansion in Las Vegas to make surprise change of direction to purchase the Lakers. Almost a year ago, Mark Walter became the Lakers majority stakeholder while owning the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The sale of the team has been raising eyebrows. Walter has been the target in a federal loan fraud investigation, where he allegedly took money from his own insurance companies to fund other sports investments and businesses.
Kushner and Iger will take over Walter’s shares, and the Buss family still has between 15-17 percent of their shares. The investment looks to be a lot bigger than what it seems.
Kushner handles Thrive Capital and they launched Thrive Eternal in May 2026. Thrive Eternal helps restore iconic brands.
For the Lakers, this creates long-term continuity for the franchise. The Lakers has been a family run business since 1979.
Iger has deep connections in the entertainment industry having overseen large companies like ESPN and Disney. With LeBron James being gone, this gives the Lakers more of a reason to rebuild the team.
