Bob Iger and Josh Kushner are shopping minority slices of the Los Angeles Lakers at $250 million to $300 million a seat while they assemble the ownership group behind their agreed purchase of the franchise at a record $12.5 billion valuation. It’s an interesting, and somewhat ironic, situation given that Iger looks to increase his wealth dramatically while his successor at Disney (Josh D’Amaro) is cleaning up a huge mess and firing thousands of employees.
Some might say Bob Iger jumped ship at the right time and is now using his golden parachute to acquire even more wealth just as layoffs land on those under his former edicts.
Four sources familiar with the talks put that range as the starting ask, with some limited partners expected to write larger checks. The pairing agreed over the summer to buy the team from Mark Walter. Kushner is lined up as majority owner. Iger is expected to hold a minority stake and oversee day-to-day operations once the deal closes.
Demand Versus the Podcast Rumor Mill
Bill Simmons said on his podcast that Kushner was still $5 billion to $6 billion short, that he could not find the money, and that Iger was only putting in something like $63 million. A source told Front Office Sports that the idea Kushner is struggling to raise capital is simply not true. Still, even two more sources described massive demand to get into the Lakers deal, even if the names on that interest list stay private for now.
In other words, there’s plenty of chatter in the rumor mill regarding how Iger and Kushner are playing ball. Yes, pun intended.
One source said the transaction could finish within the next few months. That timing matches a now-common NBA pattern: announce the headline purchase, then fill out limited partners while league approvals move. The Boston Celtics followed a similar path after Bill Chisholm’s $6.1 billion deal, unveiling minority investors months after the first announcement.
READ: Bob Iger Stepping Down as Disney CEO Before End of 2026, Report Claims
The NBA recently revised private-equity rules so a firm and its executives can invest at the same time. Front Office Sports notes the change was made in part to let Kushner’s Thrive Eternal invest alongside him in the Lakers purchase. Soaring franchise valuations have pushed more private equity into team cap tables, and the Lakers deal sits at the top of that trend line.
Josh Kushner is still $5-6 BILLION short on the Lakers deal and Bob Iger is only putting in “like 63 million dollars,” per @BillSimmons “I think they’re using the Buss family as scapegoats for why the deal’s dragging along, but he can’t find the money.” https://t.co/pY9tSIc1R4
— NBABase (@TheNBABase) October 30, 2026
Iger’s operating role is the other half of the pitch. Investors buying a $250 million-plus slice are not only buying a championship brand. They are buying into a structure where a former Disney chief is expected to run the basketball business day to day while Kushner holds majority control.
The Buss Stake Drama in the Background
Jeanie Buss and her siblings are still fighting in California state court over the family’s 17.8 percent stake. The siblings want to sell. Jeanie Buss, the team’s governor under a side deal with Walter, says a 2017 court order blocks that sale. The siblings dispute that reading. Reports are that the family fight does not plan to block the proposed deal with Iger and Kushner.
Walter’s exit from the Lakers arrives while his wider business faces federal scrutiny tied to insurance disclosures. He has already sold other sports holdings, including a stake in Chelsea. For Iger and Kushner, the public work right now is quieter: price the minority seats, answer the capital rumors, and keep the closing window in sight. The $250 million floor tells you how exclusive that next ownership tier is meant to feel.
But meanwhile, how must if feel to the workers at Disney who are preparing to lose jobs amidst 20% cutbacks before the holiday season… to hear the man who put them in this position is now getting even more net worth? It’s a painful reminder of where privilege really exists.
Would you buy a nine-figure Lakers slice if you could, or does the valuation finally feel too rich even for a trophy franchise? Sound off and let us know!
