NEW YORK, Sept 30 — Nike co-founder Phil Knight is the richest man in American sport while Steve Ballmer of the NBA Los Angeles Clippers is the richest US sports team owner, Forbes magazine said yesterday.

The magazine’s annual list of the 400 Richest Americans included 39 people, nearly one in 10, who own a majority interest in a US sports league team. They own 47 clubs in all worth a combined US$182 billion (RM809.591 billion).

But beyond any club owner is Knight, worth US$24.4 billion to rank 17^th overall in the Forbes 400, his worth jumping 23 per cent from a year ago.

Nike’s top rival, Baltimore-based Under Armour, was founded by Kevin Plank, who ranks 145^th on the list at US$3.9 billion, up 30 per cent from last year.

About US$90 billion in new television contracts has been pumped into the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball, adding to the wealth of team owners, who on average in the Forbes list saw their worth jump 14 per cent each.

That included Ballmer, the former Microsoft chairman who ranked 21^st wealthiest overall at US$21.6 billion.

Ballmer paid US$2 billion to purchase the Clippers from disgraced Donald Sterling, who was forced to sell the team by the NBA after racist remarks. The sale price was more than three times the previous record NBA franchise sale and US$400 million beyond his nearest rival bidder.

A 6 per cent drop in Microsoft stock value saw Ballmer’s net worth take a US$900 million hit over last year.

Among 17 NFL owners in the Forbes top 400, the richest is Paul Allen, a Microsoft co-founder who owns the NFL Seattle Seahawks and NBA Portland Trail Blazers and ranks second among overall owners at US$17.8 billion.

Stan Kroenke, who ranks 63^rd overall with a worth of US$7.6 billion, owns the NFL St. Louis Rams, NBA Denver Nuggets and NHL Colorado Avalanche. His wealth rose 33 per cent in the past year and the Rams could boost their value if a possible move to Los Angeles is made.

NFL Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, worth US$5.6 billion, founded auto parts maker Flex-N-Gate, which had sales of US$4.45 billion last year.

Team value leaps boosted Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to US$5 billion and Robert Kraft, owner of the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, to US$4.8 billion.

Denise York, owner of the NFL San Francisco 49ers, made the list for the first time as the club’s value soared an NFL-best 69 per cent to US$2.7 billion with the opening of a new home stadium next year.

There were 13 NBA team owners on the Forbes 400, the richest of them the Miami Heat’s Mickey Arison at US$7.7 billion, ranked 60^th overall.

Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner, a real estate mogul worth 22 per cent more than last year at US$5.5 billion, ranks 86^th overall but atop the list of baseball club owners, just ahead of Mike and Marian Ilitch, owners of the Detroit Tigers and NHL Detroit Red Wings, at US$5.4 billion. 

Those who own US sports team also hold stakes in English Premier League teams, NASCAR teams and Major League Soccer.

NHL Los Angeles Kings owner Philip Anschutz, who owns the concert and area company AEG, ranks as the third richest sports owner at US$10.9 billion. He also has a one-third minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers and was a major early financier of MLS. — AFP