5 biggest NFL team purchases of all-time ft. Panthers and Bills

Owning an NFL franchise is one of the most valuable business ventures in the world. They come with an extreme amount of guaranteed profitability, and each team's value regularly increases annually. This is why NFL teams rarely go up for sale, and when they do, they now sell for billions of dollars.

The Denver Broncos are currently listed for sale during the 2022 NFL offseason. Rob Walton, the heir to Walmart, is likely going to win the bid for the team at a massive $4.5 billion, though the transaction is not yet official. It would be the most expensive purchase of any American sports team ever, nearly doubling the current record of $2.3 billion for the Brooklyn Nets.

Once the Broncos are officially sold, they will be the fifth NFL team to be purchased for more than a billion dollars. Here are the current five highest-sold NFL franchises of all time.

5 most expensive purchases of an NFL franchise

#5 - Jacksonville Jaguars - $770 million

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan

Shahid Khan made his fortune in the automotive industry. He started Bumper Works and acquired Flex-N-Gate, eventually earning billions in sales after combining the two and growing it exponentially.

Khan became an owner when he purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars for $770 million in 2012. A year later, in 2013, he bought Fulham FC, a soccer club in England.

#4 - Cleveland Browns - $1 billion

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam

Jimmy Haslam made the most of his wealth while in charge of the Pilot Corporation, which eventually became Pilot Flying J after several acquisitions. The company runs a chain of truck stops, among other things, and is one of the largest to do so in the country.

Jimmy Haslam purchased the Cleveland Browns in 2012 for an even $1 billion, the second most expensive transaction for an NFL team at the time. Six years later, in 2018, he bought the Columbus Crew MLS team.

Most expensive NFL team purchases

#3 - Miami Dolphins - $1.1 billion

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross

Stephen Ross initially purchased half the ownership stake in the Miami Dolphins in 2008 when he bought a 50 percent share. He bought an additional 45 percent of the Dolphins' ownership a year later, moving his stake up to 95 percent. The total sale was worth more than a billion dollars, the first NFL team to sell for a ten-figure price.

Ross became a billionaire through the success of The Related Companies, an international real estate development company he founded. He also co-founded RSE Ventures, an investment firm, while being the co-owner of Kangaroo Media and Fan Vision.

#2 - Buffalo Bills - $1.4 billion

Buffalo Bills owners Kim and Terry Pegula

Terry Pegula was a petroleum engineer who struck big when he founded East Resources, a drilling company. Before selling for more than $6 billion, the company made many discoveries and innovations.

Terry and his wife Kim Pegula purchased the Buffalo Bills in 2014 for a then-record-setting $1.4 billion. They added to their sports empire in New York, owning the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bandits, Buffalo Beauts, Rochester Americans, and Rochester Knighthawks.

#1 - Carolina Panthers - $2.2 billion

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper

David Tepper smashed the record for the most expensive NFL team ever sold when he purchased the Carolina Panthers for an incredible $2.2 billion in 2018. Currently, he is also the wealthiest owner entering the 2022 season, valued at $17.6 billion.

Tepper is considered one of the most successful hedge fund managers globally. After being denied a promotion to partner within Goldman Sachs, where he worked, he started his own firm, Appaloosa Management. He also founded Charlotte FC, the most recent expansion team in the MLS.