# Who are the most famous people to ever own a major league sports franchise? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 15, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535 "2009-05-15T15:41:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/1 "2009-05-15T15:41:42Z")
Listening to Mark Cuban’s daily third grade drama on sports radio, I realized most owners are known in their town, but usually only known by the companies that made them rich, but are not the spotlight seeking captains of industry. Which kind of surprises me. Obviously, George Steinbrenner is probably the first name people think of when someone asks them to name a sports owner. He’s famous FOR being a sports owner, but I guess that counts. I know Gene Autry once owned the California Angels of Los Angeles and Anaheim and Any Other City That Will Watch Us Other Than The Dodgers. We could probably include Wrigley, but I know him more for the gum and the field than for his own personality. I don’t even know his first name. But short of that, no public figures with great fame or oversized personalities come to mind. Paul Allen is significant, but everyone knows Bill Gates instead. Naturally you have to have done SOMETHING to be rich enough to own a team, but mostly, the owners of sports teams seem to be kind of reserved (which is why Cuban stands out). Any other celebrities own majority interest in a team in the history of the big three American Sports leagues? I mean people that everyone would know whether they followed sports or business. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/2 "2009-05-15T15:50:53Z")
George W. Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/3 "2009-05-15T15:54:18Z")
Letterman owns Rahal Letterman Racing. [RHL](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahal_Letterman_Racing) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/4 "2009-05-15T16:12:04Z")
I agree that Bush is the number one example. Pat Boone was the owner of the Oakland Oaks of the ABA. John Candy was a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Tom Clancy is a co-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of MLB. Bill Murray had been co-owner of a number of minor-league baseball teams: the St. Paul Saints, the Charleston RiverDogs, the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Brockton Rox, the Utica Blue Sox, the Fort Myers Miracle, the Salt Lake Trappers, and the Auburn Astros. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/5 "2009-05-15T16:17:36Z")
Jay-Z is co-owner of the New Jersey-unless-we-can-escape-to-Brooklyn Nets. And Russell Crowe owns part of a rugby team. There are a handful of other actors who’ve done the same, think. Just not very many who’ve done it with major league U.S. sports teams because that tends to require amounts of money that an actor or producer might not have. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/6 "2009-05-15T16:27:05Z")
Roman Abramovich owns Chelsea - anyone who’s knows anything about soccer knows that. ---
**Author:** ![Winsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Winsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winsling)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/7 "2009-05-15T16:35:16Z")
Wayne Gretzky is part owner of the Coyotes. Michael Jordan is part owner of the Bobcats. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/8 "2009-05-15T16:37:27Z")
There are plenty of celebrities who’ve bought minor partnerships in franchises, but were never In Charge. Bob Hope and Danny Kaye had shares of the Seattle Mariners, for instance. Steinbrenner, Cuban, Marge Schott, and this Doyle guy with the Knicks became celebrities by way of media-pimping themselves as team owners - they weren’t famous outside of those roles, which is what I think you’re after. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/9 "2009-05-15T16:40:55Z")
Bob Hope also was once part owner of the Cleveland Indians. I didn’t know that about the Mariners. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/10 "2009-05-15T16:57:22Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > George W. Bush. He wasn’t really famous until AFTER his ownership had ended. His name was famous, but that also applies to Ross Perot Jr, who owned the Dallas Mavericks before Cuban. Funny, two of the three 1992 presidential candidates owned a Dallas sports team at the same time. Is there any chance Bill Clinton traveled back in time and fathered Jerry Jones? Then we would have a trifecta. I see some resemblence. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > There are plenty of celebrities who’ve bought minor partnerships in franchises, but were never In Charge. Bob Hope and Danny Kaye had shares of the Seattle Mariners, for instance. > > Steinbrenner, Cuban, Marge Schott, and this Doyle guy with the Knicks became celebrities by way of media-pimping themselves as team owners - they weren’t famous outside of those roles, which is what I think you’re after. This is it, in a nutshell. Though I did think of a HUGE addition to the list. Ted Turner. He started CNN, married Jane Fonda, and ran his mouth like nobody’s business. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/11 "2009-05-15T17:03:51Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Steinbrenner, Cuban, Marge Schott, and this Doyle guy with the Knicks became celebrities by way of media-pimping themselves as team owners - they weren’t famous outside of those roles, which is what I think you’re after. Bill Veeck (Cleveland Indians/St. Louis Browns/Chicago White Sox) and Charlie O. Finley (Oakland A’s) were fairly famous as team owners/eccentrics. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/12 "2009-05-15T17:05:45Z")
Elton John and Watford FC, I believe. Al Davis, but he’s famous _for_ owning the Raiders. Mohammad Al-Fayeed (sp?) owns Fulham FC in London. The Busch family and the St. Louis Cardinals. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/13 "2009-05-15T17:07:40Z")
In addition to Bob Hope owning part of the Indians. (I never heard of him owning part of the Mariners, either.) For about 20 years or so Bing Crosby was part owner of the Pirates. Michael Jordan is part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/14 "2009-05-15T17:16:02Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Bob Hope also was once part owner of the Cleveland Indians. I didn’t know that about the Mariners. My mistake. Indians. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/15 "2009-05-15T17:24:39Z")
Donald Trump owned the New Jersey Generals of the now-defunct USFL. Rupert Murdoch–or rather one of his companies–owned the Los Angeles Dodgers for a time. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/16 "2009-05-15T18:22:37Z")
Ted Turner? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/17 "2009-05-15T18:25:25Z")
Paul Newman owned an auto racing team. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/18 "2009-05-15T20:11:39Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Steinbrenner, Cuban, Marge Schott, and this Doyle guy with the Knicks became celebrities by way of media-pimping themselves as team owners - they weren’t famous outside of those roles, which is what I think you’re after. Cuban was famous before he bought the Mavs – at least in the technology world. You could say the same about Tom Golisano and Wayne Huizenga, I think, whose business success (and political career, in Golisano’s case) made them well known before they bought sports teams. Golisano owns the Buffalo Sabres, Huizenga owns the Miami Dolphins. Ted Turner was on the cover of Sports Illustrated (as a yachtsman) before he bought the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks. Ray Kroc was well known as the founder of McDonalds before he bought the San Diego Padres Singer Danny Thomas was the original owner of the Miami Dolphins. He was essentially the figurehead for the ownership group, and sold out shortly after the team was founded. Baron Hilton, hotel magante (and grandfather of Paris and Nicole) was the original owner of the Chargers. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/19 "2009-05-15T20:15:51Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > He wasn’t really famous until AFTER his ownership had ended. His name was famous, but that also applies to Ross Perot Jr, who owned the Dallas Mavericks before Cuban. Funny, two of the three 1992 presidential candidates owned a Dallas sports team at the same time. Is there any chance Bill Clinton traveled back in time and fathered Jerry Jones? Then we would have a trifecta. I see some resemblence. George **W.** Bush, not George H.W. Bush. Poppy never owned a sports team, to my knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535/20 "2009-05-15T20:41:07Z")
Russel Crowe owns the South Sydney Rabbitohs (Rugby) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-famous-people-to-ever-own-a-major-league-sports-franchise/496535.md?page=2)