One of Hollywood’s biggest names is making a historic splash for one of Los Angeles most iconic brands.
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Thrive Capital founder Josh Kushner are buying the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers from billionaire Mark Walter. The deal values the franchise at $12.5 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter, a record-breaking sum for a sports franchise.
“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world,” the pair said. “We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”
Iger told the California Post that he and Kushner were considering an expansion team in Las Vegas before they learned the Lakers could be on the block. Iger said the deal “came together in three days.”
“It was suggested to us that maybe Mark Walter would be interested in selling his stake in the Lakers,” Iger told the publication after the deal was announced. “And we immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team, that we would be really smart to pursue it.”
Billionaire Mark Walter, who also owns the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, purchased a controlling interest in the Lakers from the Buss family just last year. According to ESPN, Walter bought the stake for roughly $10 billion, then the most ever paid for a sports franchise.
“Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life,” Walter said in a statement. “It has been an extraordinary investment, but what I will carry with me is the community, the fans, and a city that treats this team as family. I am grateful to Jeanie Buss, the Buss family, the players, and the staff for welcoming me into this chapter. The Lakers belong to Los Angeles, and I have every confidence the best is still ahead.”
The NBA’s Board of Governors must sign on the deal. Kushner and Iger confirmed the news in a statement shared with Business Insider. News of the deal was first reported by ESPN.
Kushner, whose brother Jared is President Donald Trump‘s son-in-law, has recently made waves with his moves into sports. Thrive Eternal, Josh Kushner’s sports and entertainment-focused fund, was at the center of a controversial $20 billion investment proposal for FIFA, soccer’s world governing body responsible for the World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is now facing scrutiny for his handling of the entire episode.
The purchase locks up one of the biggest names in sports, whose history spans from Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and, most recently, “The King” and NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James. Following James’ departure to Philadelphia via free agency, the Lakers are looking to build around NBA All-Star Luka Dončić.
Iger told the California Post that he had yet to contact Dončić, but had spoken to Buss, whose father owned the Lakers for three decades. Iger said he and Kushner would honor Walter’s agreement with Buss that she would remain the Lakers’ governor for at least five years, which the league announced in 2025 when it approved the sale to Walter.
“If things change, they’ll change, but we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents in the organization,” Iger said.
The former Disney chief and his wife, Willow Bay, own a controlling interest in Angel City FC, LA’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise. Kushner is no stranger to the NBA. According to The Athletic, he owns a minority stake in the Miami Heat and previously owned a minority share in the Memphis Grizzlies.
Walter is facing a federal investigation into private credit deals involving the billionaire’s companies, The Wall Street Journal reported last month. The Journal reported that the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission are examining roughly $16 billion in transactions.
Correction: August 12, 2026 — This story has been updated to correct that the name of Josh Kushner’s fund involved with FIFA’s investment proposal is Thrive Eternal. It has also been updated to clarify that the deal values the Lakers at $12.5 billion.
