Tilman Fertitta ranked No. 18 among world’s richest sports owners

In a Forbes ranking of the 20 richest sports owners in the world, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is the only Houstonian on the list.

According to Forbes, Fertitta’s net worth increased in 2024 to $9.4 billion, which represents 16% year-over-year growth. In all, that earned him the No. 18 spot on the global list of richest sports owners.

Beyond the Rockets, Fertitta also has a major revenue stream via his Landry’s, Inc. empire of dining, entertainment, and hospitality brands, and he’s consistently exploring new projects, as well.

To that end, Fertitta recently said he is exploring bringing a National Hockey League (NHL) and/or WNBA franchise to Houston — though nothing appears to be close to finished, at this time.

Among the 20 richest sports owners in the world, here’s a rundown of current NBA owners and their placement on the Forbes list.

No. 1: Steve Ballmer

• NBA Team: Los Angeles Clippers
• Source of Wealth: Microsoft
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $121 billion
• 1-Year Change: +50%

(data via Forbes)

No. 3: Miriam Adelson and family

• NBA Team: Dallas Mavericks
• Source of Wealth: Casinos
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $32 billion
• 1-Year Change: -9%

(data via Forbes)

No. 5: Daniel Gilbert

• NBA Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
• Source of Wealth: Quicken Loans
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $26.2 billion
• 1-Year Change: +46%

(data via Forbes)

No. 8: Stanley Kroenke

• NBA Team: Denver Nuggets
• Source of Wealth: Sports, real estate
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $16.2 billion
• 1-Year Change: +26%

(data via Forbes)

No. 15: Antony Ressler

• NBA Team: Atlanta Hawks
• Source of Wealth: Finance
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $10.5 billion
• 1-Year Change: +78%

(data via Forbes)

No. 17: Mat Ishbia

• NBA Team: Phoenix Suns
• Source of Wealth: Mortgage lender
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $9.9 billion
• 1-Year Change: +83.3%

(data via Forbes)

No. 18: Tilman Fertitta

• NBA Team: Houston Rockets
• Source of Wealth: Entertainment, Houston Rockets
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $9.4 billion
• 1-Year Change: +16%

(data via Forbes)

No. 19: Tom Gores

• NBA Team: Detroit Pistons
• Source of Wealth: Private equity
• Citizenship: United States
• Net Worth: $9.1 billion
• 1-Year Change: +49%

(data via Forbes)

No. 20: Joe Tsai

• NBA Team: Brooklyn Nets
• Source of Wealth: E-commerce
• Citizenship: Canada
• Net Worth: $8.5 billion
• 1-Year Change: +12%

(data via Forbes)

Complete Forbes list

The World’s Richest Sports Team Owners 2024 https://t.co/eaLObObbmF pic.twitter.com/Cnyhx2GFfB

— Forbes (@Forbes) April 25, 2024

Recent Tilman Fertitta news

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta states desire to bring WNBA back to Houston https://t.co/58JxLxP5hu pic.twitter.com/HsUxjUTDGG

— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) May 2, 2024

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta confirms interest in bringing NHL, WNBA to Houston https://t.co/sggInMbl6L pic.twitter.com/y4AN167kw5

— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) April 13, 2024

Tilman Fertitta sees $70M training center providing edge to Rockets https://t.co/CjHkBk7eCb pic.twitter.com/tVvYyhKS1K

— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) December 13, 2023