Mark Walter is a name that few spectators spontaneously associate with major sporting events. Yet, since June 2025, he has become the new owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, after an acquisition valued at 10 billion dollars. Thus, he takes control of one of the most legendary franchises in the NBA and world sports. This historic purchase ends the hold of the Buss family, guardians of the club for over 45 years.
Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mark Walter grew up far from the media spheres. His father worked in a concrete factory. However, this modest background did not predispose him to become one of the most influential men in American sports. After studying accounting at Creighton University, he earned a law degree from Northwestern, one of the country’s top law schools. This rigorous path, however, hides an extraordinary ambition. In 2000, he co-founded Guggenheim Partners, an asset management group that would quickly weigh several hundred billion dollars.
TWG Global: the war machine of a financial empire
At 65, Mark Walter now leads TWG Global Holdings, a conglomerate whose combined investments exceed 40 billion dollars. TWG acts as the armed wing of his global expansion strategy. The group holds major stakes in insurance, wealth management, and private equity. Among its assets is Delaware Life, a key player in life insurance in the United States.
In 2024, TWG formed a strategic partnership with Mubadala Capital, the financial arm of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund. This agreement allows Walter to consolidate his presence in the Middle East while diversifying his assets. Thus, he weaves a network of influence that is both financial, diplomatic, and industrial.
Sport as a lever of power and influence
But it is in the world of sports that Mark Walter finds his true passion. In 2012, he acquired 27% of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a Major League Baseball franchise.
Under his governance, the team won two major titles, in 2020 and 2024. His approach is rigorous: strategic recruitment, investment in infrastructure, brand enhancement.
He is also a shareholder of the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA, in collaboration with legend Magic Johnson, and has recently invested in Andretti Global, an ambitious Formula 1 team. This sports portfolio is designed as a coherent ecosystem, oriented towards performance and long-term value.
The acquisition of the Lakers: an emblematic operation
The acquisition of the Lakers was not improvised. In 2021, Walter acquired 20% of the club through an agreement with Philip Anschutz, a media magnate. He then obtained a right of first refusal on the majority of the capital. In June 2025, he activated this clause and purchased 85% of the club, leaving 15% symbolically to the Buss family.
This operation marks a turning point in the history of professional sports. Never before had a sports franchise been valued at such a level. Walter is committed to a patient investment logic: he wants to transform the Lakers into a catalyst for his global project around Los Angeles. Despite a disappointing season ending with elimination in the first round of the playoffs, the team retains major talents like LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Anthony Davis. Walter aims to make it the pillar of a sports and media empire. He focuses on innovation, data, and international visibility.
A strategic vision of globalized sports
Far from confining himself to the United States, Walter extends his influence to the old continent. He holds 12.7% of BlueCo, the parent company of Chelsea FC (Premier League) and RC Strasbourg (Ligue 1). This European holding, co-founded with Todd Boehly, follows a logic of resource and talent pooling. Thus, the clubs share performance tools, recruitment strategies, and a common database.
In parallel, Walter has heavily invested in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), where he owns all six founding franchises. He has invested several hundred million to structure a professional championship. Additionally, he improves salary conditions and promotes the athletes. The league’s trophy now bears his name, as well as that of his wife, Kimbra Walter.
A philanthropist committed to education and nature
Contrary to many media billionaires, Mark Walter cultivates a sober and thoughtful image. He lives in Chicago, far from Silicon Valley or New York. With his wife Kimbra, also a lawyer, he has founded scholarship programs at Northwestern University to support law students from modest backgrounds.
The couple also supports White Oak Conservation, an animal sanctuary in Florida dedicated to the protection of endangered species like rhinos, cheetahs, and okapis. This discretion does not prevent his considerable influence on the American philanthropic landscape. Notably, he impacts the sectors of education, the environment, and the arts.
A patient, discreet but structuring capitalism
The fortune of Mark Walter is estimated between 6 and 12 billion dollars. This figure varies according to sources and market fluctuations, but it reflects a methodical rise. He is neither an heir nor a tech figure. His model is based on asset management, strategic prudence, and the alliance between finance and popular culture.
With the acquisition of the Lakers, Walter is not just acquiring a prestigious asset. He proposes a vision of sports capitalism, combining profitability and long-term perspective. Moreover, he values territorial anchoring and societal commitment. A philosophy against the grain of speculative logics, which fits into a global dynamic of transforming sports as a geopolitical, media, and social lever.