One of the oldest NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, founded in 1933, has been passing on ownership within the Rooney family. Art Rooney Sr. founded the team for $2,500.
Over the years, the Rooney family has gotten significantly wealthier due to the league’s unwavering success. The Steelers are worth an estimated $4.625 billion and are owned by Arthur Joseph Rooney II.
Rooney Sr.’s grandson, Art Rooney II, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in political science. He later secured a J.D. degree from Duquesne University Kline School of Law. We’ll break down Rooney II’s net worth as we reflect on the family’s legacy.
How Wealthy Is Art Rooney II?
Rooney II has a net worth of $1.2 billion, and a big chunk of his wealth is credited to his family’s successes, which have been passed onto him. He is married to Greta, and they have four children together.
The Rooneys have been considered an important sports family for decades now, but that’s not the only industry they’ve gotten a hold of. Before football entered the picture, the Rooneys dipped their toes in various businesses, the oldest one being a race track that set the baseline for all the other entrepreneurial endeavors that came in the future.
Rooney Sr. understood the growing demand for competitive sports and set up businesses in sports beyond horse racing. A common notion that prevails is that Rooney funded the purchase of his franchise with the money he won through sports betting.
The Rooneys later entered the real estate business, acquiring various properties such as commercial buildings, hotels, healthcare, and education while constantly investing in Pittsburgh’s renovation.
A Look at Rooney’s Career
After his dad, Dan Rooney, died in 2017, Rooney II inherited most of the franchise’s stake.
Before taking the owner’s role, Rooney II was appointed the team’s president in 2003. Starting in 1989, he was also added to the Steelers’ board of directors. Also, Rooney II is the chairman of the NFL’s Stadium Committee.
Before the death of his father, he owned at least 30% of the Steelers in combination with Dan.
Outside of football, Rooney II spends most of his time serving on boards of various Pittsburgh organizations, such as the Pittsburgh Public Theater, Senator John Heinz History Center, and Saint Vincent College.