Major League Soccer (MLS) has come a long way since its inception in 1993. From humble beginnings with just ten teams, the league has now expanded to 28 teams and is attracting some of the biggest names in sports ownership. With the rise of soccer in the United States, it’s no surprise that billionaires and other wealthy investors are looking to get in on the action.
The top 10 richest MLS owners and the clubs they own are:
- Clark Hunt – 2.0 billion – FC Dallas
- Jon Mansueto – 4.6 billion – Chicago Fire
- Jimmy Haslam – 4.7 billion – Columbus Crew
- Arthur Blank – 7.5 billion – Atlanta United FC
- Robert Kraft – 10.6 billion – New England Revolution
- Stan Kroenke – 12.9 billion – Colorado Rapids
- Phillip Anshutz – 13.2 billion – LA Galaxy
- Sheikh Mansour – 16.8 billion – New York City FC
- David Tepper – 18.5 billion – Charlotte FC
- Dietrich Mateschitz – 27.4 billion – New York Red Bulls
In this article, we look into these owners. We look at how they built their fortunes and when they started owning these MLS teams. We also look at their investments in the clubs, such as stadiums, players, etc. These owners were selected because they are the majority owner of these clubs. We do not include minority stake owners in this list, even if they have a higher net worth.
Whether you’re a die-hard soccer fan or just curious about the business of sports ownership, this article is for you. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn about the top 10 richest MLS owners and the impact they’re having on the beautiful game.
10. Clark Hunt – FC Dallas
Clark Hunt is an American billionaire who built his fortune with the Hunt Sports Group. He also owns the NFL franchise Kansas City Chiefs. Today, he is worth $2 billion. Clark is also part of the Hunt family dynasty, with over $15.5 billion net worth.
Under his leadership, FC Dallas focused on youth development, building the best soccer academy in the US. That has borne fruit, producing 6 US national team players.
Some of these players include Ricardo Pepi and Weston McKennie. McKennie has since taken his talents to Italian Serie A football with Juventus.
FC Dallas today is also one of the more successful teams in the Western Conference, regularly pushing for playoffs.
9. Jon Mansueto – Chicago Fire
Jon Mansueto is an American billionaire known for owning a vast media empire. He started by building Morningstar, a financial research firm, in 1984. He also owns Inc. and Fast Company.
He invested his 4.6 billion fortune into soccer 2018 when he purchased a 49% stake in the MLS club Chicago Fire. He has since owned the club in 2019, paying over $400 million. He also purchased the Swiss soccer club FC Lugano in 2021.
One of the first things Jon did was to relocate the club’s office downtown and move the team back to playing in Soldier Field. The idea is to have the team play closer to Chicagoans and build relevancy.
The club then hired a new sporting director and a head coach. The Fire also planned to build a $90 million training facility and has spent over $30 million on players. These should help improve Chicago Fire’s fortunes.
8. Jimmy Haslam – Columbus Crew
Jimmy Haslam may be best known for owning the Pilot Flying J truck stops, with a fortune of over $4.7 billion. He also owns the NFL team Cleveland Browns, Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA, and MLS side Columbus Crew.
Jimmy Haslam first got involved with the Columbus Crew in 2018 when he purchased the club from Anthony Precourt. Jimmy was rumored to have paid over $150 million to buy the club to prevent it from relocating to Austin, Texas.
The new era started with a bang, with Jimmy announcing the building of a new stadium in downtown Columbus. The Crew played its first game there in 2021. There were also millions poured in to bring in players too.
These efforts and investments bore fruit, as the Columbus Crew later won the MLS Cup 2020. This gives Jimmy his first championship as an owner. Despite owning several teams, they have never won a championship under Jimmy prior until the Bucks won the NBA in 2021.
7. Arthur Blank – Atlanta United FC
Arthur Blank is an American billionaire, most known to be the co-founder of The Home Depot. He also owns the NFL franchise Atlanta Falcons and the MLS club Atlanta United FC. He has a net worth of $7.5 billion.
Arthur did not purchase the club but assembled a group to bid for the expansion license directly from the MLS. The MLS awarded the license in 2014, with Arthur agreeing to base the team in Atlanta and build a stadium to host the team.
The team played its first game in 2017. It now plays at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, sharing the facilities with the NFL team Atlanta Falcons. It is today one of the most supported clubs in the MLS, holding the record for the highest attendance ever, at 72,548.
Atlanta United’s large fan base also made it the 2nd most valuable team in the MLS, with a projected value of over $845 million. It also has the highest wage bill in the MLS, with over $21 million in total roster guaranteed compensation.
6. Robert Kraft – New England Revolution
Robert Kraft may best be known for owning the NFL team New England Patriots. However, his business portfolio includes real estate, manufacturing, and other sports teams. This includes the MLS team New England Revolution. He is worth over $10.6 billion today.
Robert’s involvement with soccer was deep; he was one of the initiators of the MLS. His New England Revolution team was one of the teams in MLS’s inaugural season in 1996. The Revs last won a trophy in 2021, winning the Supporter’s Shield.
New England Revolution plays at the Gillette stadium today, sharing grounds with the New England Patriots. Robert has also invested $35 million to build a training center for the Revs, which was completed in 2019. There are also plans to build a soccer-specific stadium in Boston proper.
5. Stan Kroenke – Colorado Rapids
Stan Kroenke is an American billionaire with a $12.9 billion wealth built from real estate. However, he also owns a wide range of sports teams.
These include the LA Rams in the NFL, Denver Nuggets in the NBA, Colorado Avalanche in the NHL, and the Colorado Rapids in the MLS. He is also the owner of the English Premier League club Arsenal FC.
Stan purchased the Rapids in 2003, intending to improve and develop the club. One of the first things Stan did was to replace the general manager. The club then invested millions to bring in players, including one of the top MLS top goalscorers, Jeff Cunningham.
The club also started playing in a new soccer-specific stadium in 2007. The DSG Park stadium cost over $131 million to build and has also hosted international soccer games for the US National Team.
4. Phillip Anshutz – LA Galaxy
Phillip Anshutz is an American billionaire whose wealth is built on the rail and petroleum business. He is worth $13.2 billion and is one of the most influential figures in the MLS. In fact, if you enjoy MLS, you have Phillip Anshutz to thank.
Phillip is one of the founders of the MLS. He has led many initiatives to grow the league’s revenues and profits. For example, he pushed owners to build soccer-specific stadiums and build up marketing and sales for the MLS.
He owned up to 6 MLS clubs at one point, taking financial losses alone to keep the league going. He received the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s Medal of Honor for his contributions. Only four people have ever received the medal.
However, he has since sold his shares in all the other clubs and only owns the LA Galaxy today. The LA Galaxy is also the darling of the MLS, regularly hosting superstar players such as David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Robbie Keane.
As a result, the LA Galaxy is also the most valuable MLS club, valued at over $1 billion.
3. Sheikh Mansour Zayed Al Nahyan – New York City FC
Sheikh Mansour is an Abu Dhabi royalty and a billionaire. He is also the vice president and deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. He owns a portfolio of soccer teams worldwide through the City Football Group.
These clubs include Manchester City FC, Palermo, and New York City FC. The New York City FC was built from scratch, playing its first game in 2015. The City group invested heavily, bringing top stars to play with the team to grow its popularity.
These players include Spanish international David Villa and English international Frank Lampard. It also brought in French World Cup winner Patrick Vieira to coach the team.
New York City FC continues to bring in foreign expertise from Europe to raise the level and standard of MLS. As a result, it is a powerhouse club in the MLS, winning the Campeones Cup and finishing 2nd in the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2022.
2. David Tepper – Charlotte FC
David Tepper is an American billionaire with over $18.5 billion net worth. He also founded Appaloosa Management, a global hedge fund. Aside from his financial exploits, he is also known as the owner of the NFL team Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC.
David floated the idea of bringing MLS to Charlotte in 2018. David organized a bid for the MLS expansion license, including agreeing to build a soccer-specific stadium with the help of the city government. It was believed David paid over $325 million to set up Charlotte FC.
Charlotte FC is currently the youngest team in the MLS, debuting only in 2022. David was adamant about making the club work. The club spent the most money buying players in North America in 2022.
Further investments were also lined up for the team. Tepper is building a 640,000 square feet training facility and has also spent over $50 million to renovate the Bank Of America stadium to make it more soccer friendly.
1. Dietrich Mateschitz – New York Red Bulls
Dietrich Mateschitz is an Austrian businessman and billionaire with over $27.4 billion fortune. He built his fortune from the energy drink Red Bull and owned many sports teams worldwide.
Dietrich bought over the original New York MetroStars in 2006, paying $30 million to own it. The club was then renamed the New York Red Bulls. It also plans to build a $100 million stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.
The New York Red Bulls also invested a lot of funds to acquire star players and coaches to build the team. These include Colombian star Juan Pablo Angel, French World Cup winner Thierry Henry, and American coach Bruce Arena, a Brooklyn native.
The Red Bull arena stadium was also completed in 2010, with the club playing there ever since. The club also built an 80-acre training facility in Morris Township, New Jersey.
The New York Red Bulls also have one of the most heated rivalries in the MLS with the New York City FC, playing the Hudson River Derby.
