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Mark Walter

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Mark Walter
Mark Walter in 2025
Born (1960-01-01) January 1, 1960 (age 65)
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.
Alma materCreighton University (BA)
Northwestern University (JD)
OccupationInvestment manager
Employer(s)Guggenheim Partners
TWG Global
Known forSports team ownership
SpouseKimbra Walter
Websiteguggenheimpartners.com
twgglobal.com

Mark Richard Walter (born January 1, 1960) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and the chief executive officer of Guggenheim Partners, a privately held global financial services firm with more than $345 billion in assets under management.[1] He is also the CEO and co-chairman of TWG Global, an American multinational holding company.

Walter is best known for his investments in professional sports. He is the owner and chairman of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers, the Women's National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Sparks, the motorsports organization Andretti Global, and the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). In addition, he owns 12.7% of BlueCo, a holding company that controls Premier League club Chelsea, Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg, and part of the Billie Jean King Cup.[2]

Early life and education

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Walter grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His father, Ed, worked at a local concrete block manufacturing plant.[3] He graduated from Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School in 1978.[3]

Walter attended Creighton University, where he studied accounting and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business in 1982.[4] He graduated from Northwestern University School of Law in 1985.[4][5]

Career

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In 1996, Walter, Tom Irvin, and Steven E. Johnson co-founded the Liberty Hampshire Company.[6] In 1999, he helped found Guggenheim Partners with assistance from Guggenheim family heir Peter Lawson-Johnson II;[4][7] he now serves as its CEO.[8][9] Through his work at Guggenheim, he got to know future investment partner Todd Boehly, who spent 14 years with the firm.[10][11]

In May 2024, Walter co-founded TWG Global[9] and is its CEO, co-chairman, and 21% owner.[12][13] He is the controlling shareholder of Delaware Life Holdings, LLC, and serves on the board of EquiTrust Life.[14]

Walter has a personal stake in Beyond Meat.[5] In addition, in 2021, it was reported that Walter had purchased numerous commercial and historic buildings in Crested Butte, Colorado, where his family frequently takes vacations.[4][15][16]

In September 2025, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated that he had a net worth of $13.3 billion.[17]

Sports investments

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Walter uses sports to advertise his insurance companies, particularly TWG Global subsidiary Gainbridge, headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana.[18] It has sponsored racing team Andretti Global since 2018[19][20] and the Indianapolis 500.[19] In 2021, it bought the naming rights to the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever's home arena, now known as Gainbridge Fieldhouse.[21] It also signed Fever basketball player Caitlin Clark as a brand ambassador in 2024.[22]

Los Angeles Dodgers

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Walter owns 27% of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.[12] In 2012, he led Guggenheim Baseball Management's $2.15 billion purchase of the team[23] using cash from Guggenheim's investments in insurance and annuities.[24][25] Walter and his partner investors provided collateral to the insurers, including Dodgers shares, Walter's stake in Carvana, and various Wendy's hamburger franchises.[26] His personal contribution was reportedly $100 million,[27] with Guggenheim Partners-related businesses contributing another $1.213 billion.[28] The precise amount from insurance companies has been disputed, with The Wall Street Journal estimating a contribution of "at least $300 million"[26] and LA Weekly putting the figure at $100 million.[25] Other members of the Guggenheim consortium include Peter Guber, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton, Billie Jean King, Ilana Kloss, Alan Smolinisky, and Robert L. Plummer.[29][30][31]

Guggenheim's investments in sports have been questioned by industry commentators as riskier investments than insurance.[32] After insurers reportedly contributed at least $300 million to the Dodgers' bid, government regulators investigated the arrangement but declined to take further action.[26]

Mark Walter at the White House at an event celebrating the 2024 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers

Walter appointed Stan Kasten to run the team.[24] Under Walter, Kasten, and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman,[33] the team became baseball's "most perennially competitive team"[34] and won the World Series in 2020 and 2024.[35] Less than a year after Guggenheim bought the team, the Dodgers signed a television deal that increased their payroll.[24]

Basketball

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Walter is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, and a partial owner of the Los Angeles Sparks women's basketball team.[36]

In 2014, Walter joined David Geffen, Oprah Winfrey, and Larry Ellison's unsuccessful bid for the Los Angeles Clippers,[37] which eventually went to Steve Ballmer.[27]

Since 2014, Walter and Magic Johnson have led the ownership group for the Los Angeles Sparks, Sparks LA Sports, which also includes Dodgers partners Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton, and Eric Holoman.[38][39] He has credited Johnson with giving him the idea to "save the Sparks" and to keep them in Los Angeles.[39]

In 2021, Walter and Boehly acquired a 27% stake in the Los Angeles Lakers from Philip Anschutz, the principal owner of the Los Angeles Kings and a stakeholder in Crypto.com Arena, where both the Lakers and Kings play.[12][40] Walter had previously led a consortium that bid for Anschutz Entertainment Group, though Anschutz ultimately decided to keep the company.[27]

On June 18, 2025, Walter agreed to buy majority control of the team from the Buss family at a $10 billion valuation.[36] The Los Angeles Times reported that TWG Global would also be involved in the purchase.[41]

European football

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Walter owns 12.7% of BlueCo,[12] a holding company that bought English Premier League football club Chelsea in 2022 and Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg Alsace in 2023.[10] Walter serves on Chelsea's board[42] but does not play an active role in day-to-day operations.[10]

Women's ice hockey

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Walter owns North America's top-level professional women's ice hockey league, the Professional Women's Hockey League.[43] In collaboration with Dodgers partners Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, Walter formed a unified league by consolidating the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association with the remnants of its rival, the Premier Hockey Federation.[44][45] The purchase ended the PWHPA's boycott of the PHF, which the PWHPA was pressuring to invest more in the sport.[46][47]

Walter invested in the league[45] and appointed his Dodgers partner Stan Kasten to oversee the league's business operations,[48] which began play in 2024.[43] The Mark Walter Group owns the inaugural six teams.[49][50] The league's championship trophy is named after Walter and his wife.[45]

Squash

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Walter and his wife were the primary financial backers of the 2018–19 PSA Men's World Squash Championship; with their help, the event presented its largest winners' purses in history. They continue to back the event, as well as the Windy City Open.[51]

Personal life

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Walter is married to Kimbra Walter, an attorney. She attended Northwestern University and Southern Methodist University Law School.[52] They have a daughter and live in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago.[4]

Walter was an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs growing up.

In 2011, Walter made a $30,800 contribution to the Democratic National Committee, as well as a $5,000 contribution to Obama for America.[4]

Philanthropy

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Walter serves as a trustee of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation,[53][54] Creighton University,[55] Northwestern University,[56] and the Field Museum.[57] His wife is a trustee of the Lincoln Park Zoo.[58]

Walter and his wife invest together in numerous philanthropic causes, including the White Oak Conservation.[59]

In 2014, Walter contributed $40 million to the Northwestern University School of Law (now the Pritzker School of Law), from where he had earned his law degree,[5] and endowed a law scholarship with his wife in 2015.[60]

Walter leads the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, which is committed to promoting education and health in the greater Los Angeles community.[61] He donated $50 million at the start of the 2024 season and an additional $50 million when the Dodgers qualified for the World Series.[62]

Walter collaborated with Billie Jean King to create the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), leading to its inaugural season in 2023-24.[63] In October 2024, he was awarded the Billie Jean King Leadership Award for his role in starting the league, and pledged $5.5 million to the Women's Sports Foundation.[64]

In 2025, he became a leader of LA Rises, a fundraising group assigned by California Governor Gavin Newsom to support rebuilding after the area's wildfires early in the year, and organized the first $100 million donation.[65]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Soto, Missael (June 18, 2025). "Who is Mark Walter? Meet the Lakers' new majority stakeholder, owner". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  2. ^ "Business Wire | Mark Walter Acquires Majority Stake in the Los Angeles Lakers". businesswire.com. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Hlas, Mike (May 11, 2012). "From Cedar Rapids to owning the L.A. Dodgers, Mark Walter moves quietly and effectively". www.thegazette.com. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Christensen, Kim (April 21, 2012). "What kind of man is Dodgers' next owner?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Mark Walter". Forbes. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  6. ^ "Liberty Hampshire Co LLC/The - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Rovner, Josh (September 15, 2022). "Why Guggenheim Securities for Investment Banking? / Overview of Guggenheim Securities". Peak Frameworks. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  8. ^ "Who Is Dodgers Owner Mark Walter And Where Did He Get All That Money". October 6, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Veiga, Alex (June 20, 2025). "How billionaire Mark Walter, set to own the controlling stake in Lakers, made his fortune". AP News. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Twomey, Liam; Johnson, Simon (September 11, 2024). "Chelsea's ownership structure: Who owns what at Stamford Bridge?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  11. ^ Ahuja, Maneet; Tucker, Hank (April 1, 2024). "Meet The Billionaire Bond Investor Behind Chelsea F.C., Springsteen's Songbook And The LA Dodgers". Forbes. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d "Bloomberg Billionaires Index: #231 Mark Walter". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  13. ^ Mendoza, Jordan. "Who is Mark Walter? What to know about Los Angeles Lakers new majority owner". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  14. ^ "Mark Walter, Chairman and Owner". Los Angeles Dodgers. September 7, 2013. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  15. ^ Hitt, Tarpley (May 2, 2021). "Billionaire Is Buying Up Small Colorado Town—and Locals Are Freaked". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  16. ^ Blevins, Jason (April 9, 2021). "Mark Walter, who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, is buying up Crested Butte's downtown buildings". Colorado Sun.
  17. ^ "Profiles - Mark Walter". Bloomberg. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  18. ^ "FAQ". www.gainbridge.io. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  19. ^ a b Blackstock, Elizabeth (September 28, 2024). "Andretti Global and Group 1001: How a sponsorship became team co-ownership". PlanetF1. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  20. ^ Brown, Nathan (December 7, 2022). "As Andretti breaks ground on $200 million facility, F1 expansion answer 'getting close'". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  21. ^ "Pacers, Fever arena officially renamed Gainbridge Fieldhouse". WANE 15. September 27, 2021. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  22. ^ "Gainbridge Signs College Basketball Star Caitlin Clark as Brand Ambassador". www.group1001.com. March 5, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  23. ^ Dilbeck, Steve (April 3, 2013). "Mark Walter tells '60 Minutes' $2.15-billion bid for Dodgers was preemptive". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  24. ^ a b c Shaikin, Bill (April 29, 2022). "The sale that saved the Dodgers, launched a decade of dominance". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  25. ^ a b Maddaus, Gene (October 6, 2015). "Who Is Dodgers Owner Mark Walter and Where Did He Get All That Money?". LA Weekly. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  26. ^ a b c Cox, Jeff (November 24, 2018). "A $20 billion plan that includes the LA Dodgers is said to be aimed at helping insurers if credit markets sour: WSJ". CNBC. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  27. ^ a b c Harris, Melissa (June 8, 2014). "Chicago billionaire Mark Walter looks at big picture in LA sports deals". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  28. ^ "Who spent what: Breaking down the $2-billion Dodgers sale". Los Angeles Times. December 16, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  29. ^ "Dodgers welcome 'trailblazing' Billie Jean King, partner to ownership group". ESPN. September 20, 2018.
  30. ^ "Plummer, Smolinisky join Dodgers' ownership". MLB.com. September 19, 2019.
  31. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Add Two Entrepreneurs to Ownership Team". The Wall Street Journal. September 19, 2019.
  32. ^ Sorkin, Andrew Ross (April 10, 2012). "A Costly Toy Subsidized by Others". DealBook. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  33. ^ McCullough, Andy (March 21, 2024). "As the Dodgers enter their Shohei Ohtani Era, failure is not an option". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  34. ^ Maloney, Tom (October 25, 2024). "Guggenheim's Walter Is Worth $12 Billion as Dodgers Thrive". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  35. ^ Toribio, Juan (October 31, 2024). "Dodgers 'hit every speed bump possible' on way to title". MLB.com. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  36. ^ a b "Sources: Buss family to sell Lakers at $10B valuation". ESPN.com. June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  37. ^ Grover, Ronald (May 29, 2014). "Group led by media mogul Geffen bids over $1.5 bln for LA Clippers". Reuters. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  38. ^ Rohlin, Melissa (February 4, 2014). "Sparks bought by investment group led by Magic Johnson and Mark Walter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  39. ^ a b "WNBA Announces Sale of Sparks to Investment Group Led by Magic Johnson and Mark Walter". NBA.com. February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  40. ^ "AEG Announces Sale of Phil Anschutz' Minority Interest in Lakers to Dodgers Owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly". www.nba.com. July 9, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  41. ^ Woike, Dan; Shaikin, Bill (June 18, 2025). "Lakers selling majority ownership of franchise to Dodgers owner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  42. ^ "Club Personnel". Chelsea Football Club. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  43. ^ a b Donkin, Karissa (January 1, 2024). "New York shuts out Toronto in 1st PWHL game as Canada's Shelton leads the way". CBC Sports. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  44. ^ Salvian, Hailey (May 24, 2022). "PWHPA, Billie Jean King considering new league: Source". The Athletic. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  45. ^ a b c "Walter Cup unveiled as PWHL's new title trophy". ESPN.com. April 4, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  46. ^ Salvian, Hailey (June 30, 2023). "What we know about the PHF shutdown, and more on the new pro women's hockey league". The Athletic. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  47. ^ "Women's Pro Hockey League Backed by Dodgers Owner, Billie Jean King to Launch in January". SI. June 30, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  48. ^ Medow, Shawn; Ross, Martin (August 30, 2023). "Kasten: Investors' PWHL business plan exceeds 10 years". SportBusiness. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  49. ^ ESPN News Services (June 29, 2023). "Sources: Premier Hockey Federation sale could unite women's hockey". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  50. ^ Krotz, Paul (June 30, 2023). "New Women's Pro Hockey League to Launch in 2024". PremierHockeyFederation.com (Press release). Premier Hockey Federation. Retrieved June 30, 2023. Initiative, led by Mark and Kimbra Walter, Billie Jean King has PWHPA and PHF support
  51. ^ Zug, James (April 3, 2019). "$1 Million: Professional Squash Hits Milestone in Chicago". squashmagazine. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  52. ^ "Kimbra and Mark Walter". The Walter Family Causes. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  53. ^ "New Dodgers owner's ties to one of America's old money families". Los Angeles Times. March 28, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  54. ^ "The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation". The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  55. ^ "Board of Trustees". www.creighton.edu. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  56. ^ "Trustees". Northwestern University. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  57. ^ "Mark R. Walter". Field Museum. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  58. ^ "Board of Trustees". Lincoln Park Zoo. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  59. ^ "Dodgers owner buys White Oak plantation". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  60. ^ "Mark and Kimbra Walter Establish Scholarship Fund at Northwestern Law". Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. August 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  61. ^ "Dodgers Foundation | Los Angeles Dodgers". MLB.com. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  62. ^ "Breaking down Mark Walter's major moves in sports, philanthropic causes". Sports Business Journal. August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  63. ^ Salvian, Hailey (May 27, 2022). "PWHPA, Billie Jean King Enterprises exploring starting women's hockey league: Source". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  64. ^ "PWHL and LA Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter pledges $5.5 million to Women's Sports Foundation". AP News. October 17, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  65. ^ Luna, Taryn (January 28, 2025). "Newsom taps Magic Johnson, Casey Wasserman, Mark Walter to lead philanthropic L.A. fire recovery initiative". LA Times. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
Business positions
Preceded by Chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers
2012–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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