Jewish businessmen Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger have reportedly purchased the iconic LA Lakers basketball franchise for £8.8 billion ($12 billion).
Per NBC News, the pair directly confirmed the sale on Wednesday after it was reported by ESPN, with a separate source “familiar with the matter” providing the price tag figure.
"As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honoured for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world,” they told the outlet.
"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.”
The Lakers is one of the most storied franchises in basketball, with 17 NBA championships, 12 of which have come since relocating from Minnesota to California in 1960.
Iger, who was raised by Austrian-Jewish parents in New York, was formerly one of the most senior figures at Disney, most recently serving as the company’s CEO until 2026.
Meanwhile, Kushner, whose brother Jared is son-in-law to US President Trump, made his fortune in venture capital.
The sale comes after it was reported that Kushner was in talks to lead the plan announced by Fifa President Gianni Infantino to sell private stakes in some of football’s premier tournaments, including the World Cup.
That proposal was subsequently scrapped after backlash from Uefa, which governs European football, and several powerful national unions, including the English FA, leaving an embattled Infantino fighting to maintain his presidency amid threats of tournament boycotts and no-confidence motions.
Kushner is also married to media executive, entrepreneur, and former supermodel Karlie Kloss, who converted to Judaism before their wedding.
However, both his brother and his father, Charles, reportedly frowned upon the marriage at the time.
Charles, the son of Holocaust survivors, is understood to have said that she was “not the right person”, with sources saying that her not being Jewish at the time contributed to his misgivings.
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