Buying ownership stakes in professional sports teams is not new for the Walton family, especially since the foundation of their wealth is the Walmart brand.
So, when news broke on Friday morning that Walmart heir Lukas Walton and his wife Samantha had purchased a minority stake in the iconic Chicago Bulls franchise and the United Center, it signaled that both Lucas and Samantha would be continuing the family business of diversifying the family’s portfolio into professional sports franchises.
“The Chicago Bulls are as iconic as the city itself, and this transaction reflects our dedication to the city’s future. We have long admired the vision the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families have set forth for The 1901 Project, and we look forward to the United Center’s continued positive impact on Chicago’s West Side,” the Waltons said in a statement.
According to CNBC, the Reinsdorf family will still maintain the controlling interest of the team. The dollar amount of the minority stake purchase was not disclosed; however, the percentage of the stake in the arena and team is 10%.
Per CNBC, the Bulls are worth approximately $6.45 billion today, which is a 3,981,382% increase in value from when $16.2 million Reinsdorf’s syndicate paid to purchase the team. From the previous owners, which included Philip Klutznick, George Steinbrenner, Walter Shorenstein, and the estate of Arthur Wirtz.
The Reinsdorf Family and the Wirtz Family both have controlling interests in the United Center, where the NHL’s Blackhawks and the Chicago Bulls host their home games, and will maintain control of the $ 7-billion redevelopment project called the 1901 Project.
“We are pleased to welcome Lukas and Samantha, who share our deep-seated belief in Chicago and our commitment to the institutions that make this city strong,” said Michael Reinsdorf, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Bulls. “Together with our partners at the United Center, the Wirtz family, we are fully aligned in our vision for the Bulls, the United Center campus, and the future of the West Side.”
Danny Wirtz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Blackhawks and Wirtz Corporation, added, “Our families have had the great pleasure of partnering in the development of the United Center over the last 30 years and we look forward to a bright future ahead.”
Lucas Walton’s uncle, Rob Walton, made headlines back in 2022 when he purchased the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion, which was the largest-ever purchase of a U.S. sports franchise at the time. It has since been surpassed by Bill Chisholm, who purchased the Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion in August of 2025. That was later overtaken by the $10 billion sale of the Los Angeles Lakers to Los Angeles Dodgers’ owner Mark Walter.
Meanwhile, Rob’s cousin Ann Walton Kroenke, who is married to Stan Kroenke, the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and the soccer/football club Arsenal.
The Walton family’s investment is either a minority ownership stake or a majority ownership stake in professional sports teams, depending on the investment structure.
