Billionaire Joshua Kushner just bought the Lakers for $12.5 billion—OpenAI’s Sam Altman once said he ‘doesn’t care’ what others think

In a monumental real estate deal, billionaire Joshua Kushner has acquired the Los Angeles Lakers for a staggering $12.5 billion. The purchase, pending approval from the NBA's Board of Governors, would set a new record for the highest price paid for a professional sports team in U.S. history. Joshua Kushner, the younger son of real-estate mogul Charles Kushner and older brother of Jared Kushner, is known for his successful venture capital firm, Thrive Capital.

Established in 2011, Thrive Capital has backed numerous groundbreaking startups, including Instagram, Spotify, and OpenAI. Joshua Kushner's investment in OpenAI, valued at over $2 billion, has been instrumental in the company's explosive growth. At OpenAI's inception, CEO Sam Altman expressed skepticism about the venture, but Kushner remained confident in the company's potential.

Thrive Capital's partnership with Thrive Capital also includes minority stakes in the San Francisco Giants, Miami Heat, and the Memphis Grizzlies. Before the Lakers deal, Kushner and Iger considered an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas.