Stephen Ross purchased 50% of the Miami Dolphins in Feb. 2008, and then became the franchise’s primary owner in Jan. 2009.
Ross currently owns 95% of the organization, Hard Rock Stadium, and the surrounding land. What is Ross’ net worth, and how does it stack up to other NFL owners? How did he amass his fortune?
Stephen Ross’ Net Worth
Ross’ net worth is estimated at $10.1 billion, according to Forbes. He is the 224th-richest person on the planet based on the outlet’s rankings.
Ross’ $10.1 billion net worth makes him the 10th-richest owner in the NFL. For comparison, the Denver Broncos have the NFL’s richest owner, as Walmart heir Rob Walton is worth approximately $77.4 billion.
In August, the Dolphins were valued at $5.7 billion, making them the 11th-most-valuable franchise in the NFL, per Forbes.
MORE: Ranking the NFL’s Richest Owners From 32 to 1
Purchasing the Dolphins was “the culmination of one of his long-held dreams — Ross grew up in South Florida and the Dolphins have been a lifetime passion for him,” according to the Dolphins’ website.
In Feb. of 2024, the NFLPA released their team report cards. Based on player voting, the Dolphins were named the NFL’s No. 1 franchise, and Ross was named the league’s No. 1 owner.
In 2023, Ross was reportedly looking to sell stakes in the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the F1 Miami Grand Prix. Billionaire Ken Griffin engaged in discussions with Ross, but Ross ultimately declined a $10 billion offer because he wanted to keep these assets in his family.
Among NFL fans, Ross is perhaps best known for recruiting Tom Brady and Sean Payton to Miami while they were under contract with other clubs. These violations of the NFL’s anti-tampering policy caused the Dolphins to lose their 2023 first-round draft pick and 2024 third-round draft pick, and Ross was fined $1.5 million and suspended.
How Did Ross Get Rich?
The 84-year-old Ross is chairman and majority owner of Related Companies, which owns luxury fitness brands Equinox and SoulCycle. Ross founded Related in 1972 with $10,000 he borrowed from his mother, he told CNN.
He was fired from his first job in New York with Laird, a securities brokerage firm. He got a new job at Bear Stearns, which also did not work out.
“I had no money … I didn’t think anybody would be interested in hiring me, and I didn’t want to go through that process again,” Ross said in the interview with CNN.
With the money borrowed from his mother, Ross started building his real estate firm.
“I started working, and I developed the passion for what I was doing,” he said. “The more I did it, the more my passion grew. Looking back, he said getting fired from Bear Stearns “was the best thing that happened to me.”
“Being successful, you don’t go straight up,” he said. “There’s going to be obstacles along the way.”
Ross started by investing in affordable housing, syndicating and selling these projects as tax shelters to wealthy investors. His real estate ventures eventually grew to include larger projects like the Time Warner Center and the Hudson Yards development site in Manhattan.
KEEP READING: Why Stephen Ross Passed on Offers to Sell the Miami Dolphins
He has also donated $20 million to the NYU School of Law, another alma mater, according to Inside Philanthropy, and gifted $30.5 million to the World Resources Institute to establish the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.