41-year-old Josh Kushner’s World Cup privatization scheme fell apart. Then he became the Lakers co-owner days later
Kushner's surname is among the most politically weighted in the world, but Kushner and wife Karlie Kloss both say they don't have conservative beliefs.
Billionaire investor Josh Kushner shocked the sports world this summer when he and his partner, former Disney CEO Bob Iger, agreed to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion. This followed Kushner's failed attempt to acquire a stake in future World Cup profits, a plan criticized by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Kushner, 41, is a successful tech investor with a net worth of about $5 billion, while Iger, 75, is a well-known figure in the entertainment industry and ex-Disney CEO. The two met eight years ago through mutual friends and later partnered in business. They quickly moved to pursue the Lakers after learning that current owner Mark Walter might be interested in selling.
The deal was finalized in just three days, leaving few details about the Lakers' future under new ownership. Kushner, who has a minority stake in the Memphis Grizzlies, will need to divest that before completing the purchase. Both Kushner and Iger publicly identify as progressive, despite their family's conservative political background.
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