The Denver Broncos have been under new ownership since the 2022 season.
The Broncos are owned by the Walton-Penner ownership group, which is led by Walmart heir Rob Walton, his daughter Carrie Walton Penner, and his son-in-law Greg Penner. How much is Walton’s net worth, and how does it compare to other NFL owners?
What Is Rob Walton’s Net Worth?
The Broncos’ co-owner comes from the wealthy Walton family. Patriarch Sam Walton was the founder and longtime face of the iconic Walmart brand, but he passed away in 1992. As Sam’s eldest son, Rob took over as chairman of the Fortune 500 company from 1992-2015.
Walton has some extremely deep pockets, with a net worth of $84.7 billion. He’s currently the 19th-richest person in the world.
Walton and his group were approved to purchase the Broncos on Aug. 9, 2022.
Prior to purchasing the Broncos and running Walmart, Walton graduated from the University of Arkansas, meaning he’s a former Razorback just like Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
MORE: What Is Jerry Jones’ Net Worth and How Did He Make His Fortune?
Walton went on to perform graduate school studies at Columbia University in New York, where he attended the school of law on the Ivy League campus.
Walton held various roles within the family business before entering NFL ownership. He’s served on the Walmart board since 1970. He and his family own roughly half of Walmart’s stock, which is where the majority of their fortune comes from.
How Did Walton Get Rich?
Walton may have been born into the Walmart family, but he didn’t work for the company right away. Originally, he served as a partner for Conners and Winters Law Firm of Tulsa, Okla.
Walton didn’t officially join his family’s company until 1969. He went on to hold a variety of positions at Walmart, ranging from chairman to corporate secretary to general counsel to vice chairman.
From 1992-2015, Walton served as chairman of the board of directors. Under his leadership, Walmart has become a global leader in retail sales and grocery items.
Walton had to earn his wealth once he left the Tulsa law firm. Now, he’s one of the wealthiest businessmen in the nation, but where does he rank among the NFL’s richest owners?
Where Does Walton Rank Among NFL Owners?
With a net worth of $84.7 billion, not even legendary league owners like Jones, Clark Hunt, or Robert Kraft can match Walton’s wallet.
Walton checks in as the league’s richest owner, and it’s not particularly close. Just how rich is Walton compared to his NFL peers? The Hunt family, who own the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, are the next-richest owners and their net worth is just $24.8 billion. Walton has them beat by nearly $60 billion.
MORE: Ranking the NFL’s Richest Owners From 32 to 1
David Tepper of the Carolina Panthers checks in at third with a net worth of $20.6 billion. Jody Allen, who owns the Seattle Seahawks, has a net worth of $20.3 billion. These are the only NFL owners with a net worth of at least $20 billion.
Walton may be the newest NFL owner, but he has more money than quite a few of his NFL owner peers combined.