Biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong says he would consider buying Dodgers if Mark Walter sells

Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten reiterated on Friday that owner Mark Walter has no plans to sell the baseball franchise. The statement comes as Walter’s other sports assets, including the Los Angeles Lakers, have attracted attention following a federal probe into financial transactions linked to his companies.

Through his attorney, biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong said he would be open to leading an investment group to acquire the Dodgers if Walter chose to put the team on the market. > "We respect Mr. Walter, and we want to make it clear we have not spoken with him," said Chuck Kenworthy, Soon-Shiong’s family attorney. "If at some point he would like to discuss the Dodgers, we would be very open to talking."

Industry sources estimate the Dodgers could fetch between $10 billion and $13 billion, far above the $2.15 billion price Walter and partners paid in 2012 when they outbid a consortium that included Soon-Shiong and hedge-fund manager Steve Cohen. The most recent major-league sale record stands at $3.9 billion for the San Diego Padres, while the Lakers recently changed hands for $12.5 billion.

Walter’s firm, TWG Global, has not responded to requests for comment. Ongoing investigations by insurance regulators and federal authorities are examining whether transactions among Walter-controlled entities were properly disclosed, though no charges have been filed.

Soon-Shiong, who purchased The Los Angeles Times in 2018 and acquired a 4 % stake in the Lakers in 2010, has previously explored other sports-team acquisitions, including a bid for AEG in 2012 and interest in the Los Angeles Angels in 2022, but has not indicated any intention to sell his existing Lakers stake.