Sports
The Billionaires And Their Teams
02.03.02,
12:00 PM ET
Good news: You don't have to be a billionaire to own a major sports franchise. What's more, being a billionaire doesn't guarantee that you will have a richly valued team.
Of the 59 teams on Forbes' annual list of the most valuable NBA and NHL teams, only 15 are owned by men and women on the 2001 list of The Forbes Four Hundred Richest in America. Of the basketball teams, eight of 29 have a superwealthy owner, versus seven out of 30 of the hockey teams.
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| Paul Allen |
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| Micky Arison |
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| E. Stanley Kroenke |
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| Melvin Simon |
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| William Davidson |
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| Mark Cuban |
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| Thomas O. Hicks |
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| Philip Anschutz |
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
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| Glen Taylor |
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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But while America's third-richest man, Paul Allen, helped build a beautiful new home for his Portland Trail Blazers, they are only the fourth-most valuable NBA franchise, worth $283 million to the Los Angeles Lakers' $403 million. Yet Allen could still teach a thing or two to John E. McCaw Jr. The telecom billionaire's Vancouver Canucks are ranked No. 25 out of 30 NHL teams, with a current value of just $106 million.
And if Mark Cuban keeps pressing his luck, maybe a new billionaire can try beating the odds next year.
More From Forbes
Score! 02.04.02 (Free Registration Required)
Our survey of pro basketball and hockey teams demonstrates the value of championships--even those won years ago.
Most Valuable NBA Teams
Most Valuable NHL Teams
Paul Allen
Owner, Portland Trail Blazers
Current Team Value: $283 million
Thankfully, Paul Allen keeps a lower profile than fellow Western Conference NBA team owner Mark Cuban. Allen's team is part of a diversified portfolio of business interests, not his alter ego, so it probably doesn't matter that it's mired in the middle of the league standings right now. Having given the Trail Blazers a jazzy new home for the 1995-1996 season, he's now following up with a tech-heavy venue for his other sports holding, the Seattle Seahawks.
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| Intro |
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| Micky Arison |
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| E. Stanley Kroenke |
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| Melvin Simon |
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| William Davidson |
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| Mark Cuban |
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| Thomas O. Hicks |
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| Philip Anschutz |
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
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| Glen Taylor |
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Micky Arison
Owner, Miami Heat
Current Team Value: $248 million
Micky Arison's focus this year has been on the docks, not the hoops. The Miami Heat owner's mainstay business, cruise-ship operator Carnival
(nyse: CCL - news - people), has been fighting a riptide in travel bookings and battling Royal Caribbean
(nyse: RCL - news - people) for control of P&O Princess
(nyse: POC - news - people). Given the lukewarm performance by the Heat this season, maybe it's just as well that Arison has a diversion.
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| Intro |
|
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| Paul Allen |
|
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| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
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| Melvin Simon |
|
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| William Davidson |
|
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| Mark Cuban |
|
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| Thomas O. Hicks |
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| Philip Anschutz |
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
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| Glen Taylor |
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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E. Stanley Kroenke
Owner: Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets
Current Team Value: $243 million (Avalanche), $188 million (Nuggets)
E. Stanley Kroenke knows how to shop: The mall developer, who is married to Wal-Mart Stores
(nyse: WMT - news - people) heir Ann Walton Kroenke, bought the Avalanche in 2000 for $202 million. Unfortunately, he didn't do as well with the Nuggets. He spent $202 million on that team as well.
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| Intro |
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| Paul Allen |
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| Micky Arison |
|
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| Melvin Simon |
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| William Davidson |
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| Mark Cuban |
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| Thomas O. Hicks |
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| Philip Anschutz |
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
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| Glen Taylor |
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Melvin Simon
Owner, Indiana Pacers
Current Team Value: $231 million
Reggie Miller isn't in a scoring slump, but Indiana Pacers team co-owner Melvin Simon may be. His Simon Property Group
(nyse: SPG - news - people) had banner growth for 2000, but it's been limping through 2001. Still, this mall owner got a bargain in the Pacers: He bought the team in 1983 for $11 million.
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| Intro |
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| Paul Allen |
|
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| Micky Arison |
|
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| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
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| William Davidson |
|
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| Mark Cuban |
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| Thomas O. Hicks |
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| Philip Anschutz |
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
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| Glen Taylor |
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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William Davidson
Owner, Detroit Pistons, Tampa Bay Lightning
Current Team Value: $230 million (Pistons), $120 million (Lightning)
William Davidson lives in a glass house (his privately held Guardian Industries is one of the world's largest industrial glassmakers), so he lets others do the throwing. But the Pistons, which are currently in fifth place in the East, could use a little help in that department.
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| Intro |
|
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| Paul Allen |
|
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| Micky Arison |
|
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| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
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| Melvin Simon |
|
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| Mark Cuban |
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| Thomas O. Hicks |
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| Philip Anschutz |
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
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| Glen Taylor |
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Mark Cuban
Owner, Dallas Mavericks
Current Team Value: $211 million
One of the few dot-com millionaires to come away with real wealth, Mark Cuban has been making a spectacle of himself on the sidelines. He has been fined eight times--totaling more than $1 million--in the two years since he bought the team. His latest fine, $500,000, came after he said he wouldn't hire the NBA's head of officiating, Ed Rush, "to manage a Dairy Queen."
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| Intro |
|
|
| Paul Allen |
|
|
| Micky Arison |
|
|
| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
|
| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
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| Philip Anschutz |
|
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
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| Glen Taylor |
|
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Thomas O. Hicks
Owner, Dallas Stars
Current Team Value: $207 million
It's safe to say that Thomas Hicks got a better investment in the Dallas Stars than he did in Regal Cinemas. The founder of leveraged buyout firm Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst bought the Stars in 1995 for $84 million; they are now worth $207 million. Movie theaters weren't Hicks' only misstep of the 1990s: he plowed $1.2 billion into Internet companies, most of which went right down the drain.
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| Intro |
|
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| Paul Allen |
|
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| Micky Arison |
|
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| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
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| Mark Cuban |
|
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| Philip Anschutz |
|
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
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| Glen Taylor |
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| Richard M. DeVos |
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Philip Anschutz
Owner, Los Angeles Kings
Current Team Value: $189 million
While he owns the Los Angeles hockey franchise, Philip Anschutz seems to be seeing bigger sports business prospects off the ice. The Denver billionaire just shelled out a reported $40 million to acquire U.S. TV rights for the 2002 and 2006 soccer World Cups, and the 2003 women's World Cup, from Kirch Media. In addition to the Kings, Anschutz owns part of Los Angeles Lakers, four U.S. soccer teams and five European hockey clubs.
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| Intro |
|
|
| Paul Allen |
|
|
| Micky Arison |
|
|
| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
|
| Mark Cuban |
|
|
| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
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| Glen Taylor |
|
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| Richard M. DeVos |
|
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Edward Roski Jr.
Owner, Los Angeles Kings
Current Team Value: $189 million
Partner of superbillionaire Philip Anschutz in the Kings and the redevelopment around their Staples Arena, Edward Roski Jr. seems to be on a winning team. The pair has been rumored to be shopping for a football franchise several times over the last few years, but nothing has materialized.
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| Intro |
|
|
| Paul Allen |
|
|
| Micky Arison |
|
|
| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
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| Mark Cuban |
|
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| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
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| Philip Anschutz |
|
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| Glen Taylor |
|
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| Richard M. DeVos |
|
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Glen Taylor
Owner, Minnesota Timberwolves
Current Team Value: $185 million
Glen Taylor paid a pretty penny for his efforts bending rules on player contracts in the 2000 NBA draft: a personal one-year suspension, a $3.5 million fine on the team and the forfeiting of the team's first-round picks in the 2001, 2002 and 2004 drafts. Better times lie ahead. The NBA announced in December that it had restored the Timberwolves' first-round pick in the 2005 draft.
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| Intro |
|
|
| Paul Allen |
|
|
| Micky Arison |
|
|
| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
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| Mark Cuban |
|
|
| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
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| Philip Anschutz |
|
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
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| Richard M. DeVos |
|
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Richard M. DeVos
Owner, Orlando Magic
Current Team Value: $176 million
This will likely be Richard DeVos last year as a billionaire sports-team owner. Not because his personal wealth is heading south (that little soap-selling business he founded out of college became Amway, with 3 million reps selling $5 billion worth of products worldwide). But the 76-year-old has decided that estate issues dictate he find a buyer, preferably someone who will keep the team in Orlando. Wayne Huizenga, are you paying attention?
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| Intro |
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| Paul Allen |
|
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| Micky Arison |
|
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| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
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| Mark Cuban |
|
|
| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
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| Philip Anschutz |
|
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| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
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| Glen Taylor |
|
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| Charles Wang |
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Charles Wang
Owner, New York Islanders
Current Team Value: $156 million
Charles Wang was high-sticked by rebellious stockholders last year, but his hockey team is skating as smoothly as always. If only his corporate team, Computer Associates
(nyse: CA - news - people), were doing as well. Sales have been clobbered by the severe slump in the tech industry, though the stock has rebounded nicely since last fall.
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| Intro |
|
|
| Paul Allen |
|
|
| Micky Arison |
|
|
| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
|
| Mark Cuban |
|
|
| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
|
| Philip Anschutz |
|
|
| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
|
| Glen Taylor |
|
|
| Richard M. DeVos |
|
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| Nancy Walton Laurie |
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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Nancy Walton Laurie
Owner, St. Louis Blues
Current Team Value: $153 million
Pity the rich: They have to bid against their in-laws for sports-team investments. Nancy Walton Laurie and husband William Laurie bought the St. Louis Blues after being outbid for hockey's Colorado Avalanche by her brother-in-law, E. Stanley Kroenke. The two teams faced off in the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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| Intro |
|
|
| Paul Allen |
|
|
| Micky Arison |
|
|
| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
|
| Mark Cuban |
|
|
| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
|
| Philip Anschutz |
|
|
| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
|
| Glen Taylor |
|
|
| Richard M. DeVos |
|
|
| Charles Wang |
|
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| John E. McCaw Jr. |
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John E. McCaw Jr.
Owner, Vancouver Canucks
Current Team Value: $106 million
He's not as wealthy as big brother Craig, but John E. McCaw Jr. has scored well with his purchase of the Canucks. The $56 million investment made in 1995 is now worth $106 million. Now if the Canucks could just keep up their scoring momentum this season...
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| Intro |
|
|
| Paul Allen |
|
|
| Micky Arison |
|
|
| E. Stanley Kroenke |
|
|
| Melvin Simon |
|
|
| William Davidson |
|
|
| Mark Cuban |
|
|
| Thomas O. Hicks |
|
|
| Philip Anschutz |
|
|
| Edward Roski Jr. |
|
|
| Glen Taylor |
|
|
| Richard M. DeVos |
|
|
| Charles Wang |
|
|
| Nancy Walton Laurie |
|
