Jeanie Buss net worth

Putting the billionaire class in suits and ties: think again. Jeanie Buss broke the mold with a plan hatched in heels right on the courtside. In the words of one of the world’s most influential billionaires, she’s the real owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and the architect of a $700 million empire of sports, media, real estate, and sweat.

For anyone who has ever wondered how a woman emerges from the shadow of a legendary father and carves out her legacy, this place is for you. Hence, this is not merely a story of net worth. It’s about hustle, vision, and how Jeanie threw her last name into the mix for a personal brand that stands for empowerment, business savvy, and unapologetic leadership.

In this article, we dive deep instead of throwing numbers and headlines. We’ll delve into how Jeanie Buss came into a great fortune through her stake in the Lakers, smart real estate investments, media endeavors, wrestling ventures, and, at last, even sneakily into her private life. You will find nuggets of gold here if you are a Lakers fan, a business person, or just love stories about an underdog-made icon.

Early Life and Education

Jeanie Marie Buss was born at Santa Monica on September 26, 1961. She was the third of four children in the family of JoAnn and Jerry Buss. Jerry Buss was a chemist and later a real estate investor until he became the majority owner of Los Angeles Lakers. In her early days, her life was laced with sports and business as she grew up with elder brothers Johnny and Jim and younger sister Janie.

The year 1972 marked a great change in the Buss family with Jerry and JoAnn getting divorced. When she was 14, Jeanie started going to meetings of World Team Tennis with her father, who owned a franchise, the Los Angeles Strings. This early experience in sports management would fuel her passion for the business. By the time she was 17, she had moved into the historic Pickfair estate in Beverly Hills with her father and had become so familiar with the premises that she would sometimes conduct tour guides.

Jeanie went on to study business at the University of Southern California (USC), where she graduated with honors. Being educated, combined with learning the ways of the real world through her father’s company’s operations, made a strong base for her to work from in her future endeavors.

In her personal life, Jeanie married volleyball player Steve Timmons in 1990 but the relationship ended in divorce after three years. She later entered a long-term affair with former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, whom she was engaged to from 2013 to 2016 when they broke up amicably.

Revenue Streams Overview

Jeanie Buss’s net worth is a culmination of diverse income sources. Here’s a breakdown:

Initial Foray into Sports Management

Unless for some other reason, it would be unjust to say that Jeanie’s first steps into the sports management world were handed to her. Early exposure, grit, and genuine passion for the sports business combined for her. Her journey officially began in 1981 when at 19, the Los Angeles Strings, a professional tennis team owned by her father, Jerry Buss, allowed her to be appointed general manager. Most teenagers were still trying to figure life out; here Jeanie was drawing contracts and working on budgets whilst managing athletes.

This was no plum family extravagance. Jeanie took the job seriously and immediately started to get involved in the business side of operations, hoping to prove that she really could do it. She has referred to that period as being a “trial by fire” that helped sharpen her instincts, not just as a manager but as a future business leader as well. The Strings were a team in the now-defunct World TeamTennis league; while the team ultimately ended up folding, Jeanie managed to draw some invaluable lessons from the experience in how to handle pressure, player egos, media scrutiny, and business logistics.

Los Angeles Lakers Ownership Stake

TheJeanie Buss story of becoming the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers is an intriguing story of legacy, leadership, and resilience. Upon the death of her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, in 2013, ownership in the Lakers was transferred to his six children through a family trust, with Jeanie becoming the controlling owner and face of the franchise.

The current ownership structure of the Los Angeles Lakers:

• Buss Family Trust: The major shareholder with a 66% stake in the franchise.

• Jeanie Buss: The controlling owner and president of the team, in charge of its business and basketball affairs.

• Minority Owners: Include Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, who bought a 27% stake in 2021, as well as Ed Roski Jr. and Patrick Soon-Shiong.

While the Buss family as a whole owns most of the team, Jeanie’s status as controlling owner gives her the authority to make executive decisions, this was confirmed through legal affirmation in 2018.

Business Acumen and Legacy

Jeanie Buss has not only delivered a stellar era of basketball success for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Lakers continue to be among the most valuable teams in all of professional sports. Jeanie Buss’s style of leadership openly embraces both long-term strategic vision and a profound understanding of the sports business to protect the Lakers brand and financial wellness. Sessions of Jeanie’s leadership of the Lakers are likely to be used in future management courses.

Jeanie Buss is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that is a serious commitment to preserve and develop her family’s legacy. Jeanie’s story is a unique blend of family mission and passion that came together with Jeanie Buss’ appointment as controlling owner. As such, Jeanie Buss’s involvement in professional basketball is an important part of the sport.

Women of Wrestling (WOW) Venture

When people hear the name Jeanie Buss, they typically think of the Los Angeles Lakers. Jeanie Buss is not just a basketball executive; she is also a dedicated advocate for women’s empowerment in sports. A straightforward instance of this is her involvement in professional wrestling through Women of Wrestling (WOW), a brave initiative that she co-founded to provide female athletes with a platform in the wrestling business.

Jeanie Buss became involved with WOW in the early 2000s along with David McLane, the founder of the original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). McLane brought the entertainment and wrestling experience; Buss brought business experience, credibility and the leadership needed to scale the brand.

WOW is a compelling addition to female wrestling. Unlike male-dominant wrestling organizations like WWE or AEW, WOW was developed from the ground up to have female wrestlers, female athletes, and everything in between: the ring, the respect, and the storytelling they lacked from mainstream wrestling.

Buss has shown great loyalty to WOW over the years and is credited with helping calm and stabilize it amid the ups and downs of the entertainment space. In 2022, the show returned in a big way with distribution support from ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global). It gave WOW the distinction of being the only all-female wrestling paid programming with nationally syndicated TV distribution and broke new ground in a space that had never allowed an all-women’s league to exist at that level.

Real Estate Investments

Jeanie Buss has sought to diversify her wealth by investing in real estate to complement her role as the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. Buss has residential and commercial real estate investments in California. In 2020 Buss bought a beach house in Playa del Rey for $2.6 million and listed it for $3.1 million.

The home measures 2,170 square feet with four bedrooms, three baths, and ocean views. Buss also sold a Playa Vista house it purchased in 2017 for $2.45 million for $2.575 million. These sales demonstrate the overall attentive sense Buss has for doing lucrative real estate deals. The total value of the real estate held by Buss is not available, but it is reasonable to presume it is in the multimillion-dollar range.

Media and Entertainment Endeavors

Jeanie has moved into the media space as a producer on the Hulu documentary, “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers,” which provides a deeper view of the Lakers’ history and how her family contributed to that history. It is nice to see Jeanie engaged in storytelling and brand-building content.

Conclusion

Jeanie Buss’s ascent from the daughter of a sports mogul to the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers illustrates her shrewdness and commitment to the franchise. Even after her father’s passing, strength, and versatility of purpose are evident in the many ventures she has embraced including successful real estate investments and the co-founding of Women of Wrestling (WOW). Buss has clearly established her presence as a force in sports. Buss’s wealth is estimated at $700 million, and she continues to shape the landscape of professional sports and entertainment.