Mark Walter confirms Dodgers will not be sold after Lakers deal
Sources close to the matter say owner Mark Walter has no intention of selling the Los Angeles Dodgers despite completing the sale of his controlling stake in the Lakers.
Los Angeles sports owner Mark Walter is not planning to sell the Dodgers, sources familiar with the situation said, even as he finalised the sale of his controlling interest in the Lakers. The Lakers transaction, valued at $12.5 billion, was completed on Wednesday and involved buyers former Disney chief Bob Iger and venture-capitalist Joshua Kushner.
Dodgers president and part owner Stan Kasten said the Lakers sale is unrelated to the baseball franchise, adding, "This is a Laker story, not really a Dodger story. It really has nothing to do with the Dodgers. They're completely separate. And so there are no changes here or contemplated here, and I think that pretty much is the whole story."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed the sentiment, noting he had not heard any indication of a Dodgers sale and that business would continue as usual. Walter’s ownership of the Dodgers, acquired in 2012 for $2.15 billion, has coincided with three World Series titles and a valuation now estimated at $9 billion.
The Lakers sale follows Walter’s broader sports portfolio, which includes the Sparks, Chelsea of the English Premier League, the Professional Women’s Hockey League and various motorsport and tennis interests. While Walter’s firm TWG Global is reportedly seeking investors to address a federal loan investigation, Kasten said there is "no reason to think that" the investigation is linked to the Lakers transaction.