Mark Walter sells Lakers amid federal investigation into related financial dealings

Mark Walter completed the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers last week in a transaction valued at $12.5 billion, roughly $2.5 billion more than the price he paid for the franchise in June 2025. The deal transferred ownership to a partnership that includes venture-capitalist Josh Kushner and former Disney chief Bob Iger.

Federal investigators are reportedly examining whether insurers controlled by Walter used four affiliated companies to channel billions of dollars in loans to other firms connected to his conglomerate. The probe follows a series of regulatory inquiries into Walter’s business activities over the past decade, including a 2015 SEC fine against Guggenheim Partners for undisclosed conflicts involving former financier Michael Milken and a 2019 SEC review of bond-selling practices by Guggenheim-linked insurers.

Walter, a co-founder of Guggenheim Partners and owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers through his TWG Global group, has a net worth estimated at $7.3 billion. Kushner, whose venture firm Thrive Capital has backed companies such as Instagram and OpenAI, is estimated to be worth $5.2 billion.

"The Lakers sale has nothing to do with President Trump or his administration," a White House spokesperson told Front Office Sports.

Analysts noted the timing of the sale, which yields a roughly 20% gain in two years, coincides with the ongoing regulatory scrutiny of Walter’s financial operations. No official link between the transaction and any political investigation has been confirmed.