Social media users reacted with disbelief after it was announced that 12 Los Angeles-area professional sports teams, collectively worth tens of billions of dollars, donated a combined $8 million to wildfire relief funds - and sent out a press release praising their own efforts.
The sum was described online as “embarrassingly low" and "laughable,” as many pointed out the immense wealth and value of the teams and their owners, which is believed to be around $36 billion combined.
According to preliminary estimates from AccuWeather, as of Tuesday, the total cost of the destruction and economic loss from the blazes – now among the worst in US history – is between $250 billion and $275 billion.
The teams involved, who are based in LA and the surrounding region, are: Angel City FC, the Anaheim Angels, the Chargers, the Clippers, the Dodgers, the Dodgers, the Ducks, LA Galaxy, the Kings, LAFC, the Lakers, the Rams and the LA Sparks.
“$8M in donations for the LA fires by 12(!) local sports teams. To put that in context, if Steve Ballmer (owner of the Clippers) donated that much on his own, it would be 0.000064 of his total worth,” one user wrote on X.
The Independent has reached out to all 12 of the sports organizations involved for comment on the proposed donation. None responded in time for this report.
On Monday, the teams released a joint statement promoting their pledge of a combined $8 million to support the victims of the fire.
“As the people of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities begin the long recovery from the region’s devastating fires, 12 professional sports organizations… have pledged a combined donation of more than $8 million to support victims in need, as well as those fighting the fires,” a statement put out by the teams read.
“Together and individually, the sports franchises of Los Angeles recognize the importance of being present for the communities who have supported them so strongly.”
The teams noted that they also joined with clothing organization the Fanatics Foundation to distribute more than $3 million worth of merchandise to families in need who have been evacuated from their homes. They also partnered to launch an “LA Strong” collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts with all proceeds to benefit the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the American Red Cross, according to the release.
LA sports teams are also hosting giveaways at some of their stadiums to provide hygiene kits, school supplies, sneakers, and more to those impacted, according to the release.
They note the teams might reveal their own programs and support to victims and frontline workers in the weeks and months to come.
But some were unimpressed by the paltry donation. “It’s good they’re donating but I don’t think they should make a press release for donating less than 0.01% of the monthly revenue they generate,” wrote one user on X.
“I wouldn’t make a press release for putting a penny in a tip jar.”
“That’s embarrassingly low given the donors and circumstances,” said another, with one user adding: “Each of these teams makes more than that from 1 game. Anything less than $25 million in this effort is laughable tbh.”
“I find myself so annoyed watching nfl games and they’re encouraging viewers to donate to help out in these circumstances when if these nfl owner billionaires would donate $1 billion anytime these awfu situations happen and just rotated the relief effort would be 10x better,” wrote another user.
Five of the teams are listed in Forbes’ 50 most valuable sports teams in the world as of 2024. The Los Angeles Rams are third on the list, valued at $7.6 billion, and the Lakers rank at number eight, with a value of $7.1 billion.
The Rams moved back to Los Angeles in 2016 under the ownership of Stan Kroenke who has an estimated net worth of $17.9 billion. The NFL team - which is currently in the playoffs and set to face the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend - had $756 million in revenue in 2023, according to Forbes.
Fellow L.A. NFL team the Chargers, which relocated to Los Angeles in 2017 from San Diego, had a valuation of $5.1 billion. It is owned by the Spanos Family, which has a $2.4 billion net worth.
The two teams play in SoFi Stadium which opened in 2020 and cost an estimated $5 billion. No taxpayer dollars were used to fund that project.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the 2024 MLB World Series, have a valuation of $5.45 billion and made nearly $200 million in its TV deal in 2022, according to reports. The team has also become a prized free-agent destination and currently has nearly $1 billion worth of salary owed to players who signed deals in the last couple of years. The team is chaired by Mark Walter CEO of Guggenheim Partners, which is worth $300 billion in combined assets.
Fellow MLB squad, the Los Angeles Angels are worth about $2.7 billion and owned by Art Moreno since 2003 - and he has a roughly $5 billion net worth.
On the NBA side, Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, has a personal fortune of over $125 billion, according to Forbes. The Clippers’s new home, the Intuit Dome, recently opened in Inglewood and cost $2 billion in private funding to build. The Lakers’ controlling owner is Jeanie Buss, who inherited the team from her father Dr. Jerry Buss following his death in 2013.
The Los Angeles Kings, valued as the fourth most expensive team in the NHL by Forbes in 2023, is worth around $2.9 billion. Its owner, Philip Anschutz – who has built fortunes in oil, railroads, telecom, real estate, and entertainment – is worth just shy of $17 billion. The Anaheim Ducks, worth $1.3 billion, are owned by billionaire philanthropist couple Henry and Susan Samueli.
As of Wednesday, 25 people had died as a result of the wildfires. The Palisades Fire has torn across nearly 24,000 acres and was 18 percent contained, according to officials. The Eaton Fire is 45 percent contained after burning more than 14,000 acres.
Some 12,000 buildings have been destroyed.
Officials have warned about the health dangers of smoke and ash and the potential of the return of Santa Ana winds that could fuel the fires on Wednesday. However, the forecast for later in the week appears favorable to help crews contain the blazes.
