The Colorado-based NFL franchise, Denver Broncos, was established on August 14, 1959. They had their first winning season in 1973. The Broncos improved drastically after 1975, having won the AFC title eight times and recording only eleven losing seasons since then. They also share the stat of having the most number of Super Bowl losses (5) with the New England Patriots. Denver Broncos’ latest Super Bowl victory came in 2016 when they beat the Panthers 24-10.
Denver Broncos played their home games at Mile High from their establishment till they shifted to Empower Field in 2001. Producing players like John Elway, and Floyd Little, the Broncos have all nine players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Who is the Denver Broncos Owner?
The Walton-Penner family led by Rob Walton are the owners of the Denver Broncos. They acquired the franchise for $4.65 billion in 2022. Walton is a businessman who served as Walmart’s chairman from 1992-2015. He helped the company move into the Forbes 500 largest companies in America during his tenure. Walton was born on October 27, 1974 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas in 1966. He comes from the American Walton family which is the richest family in the world thanks to their combined wealth from Walmart.
Franchise History
Robert Lee Howsam (1959-1961)
The Denver Broncos were established by Robert Lee Howsam. He was the head of the seven-member board which called themselves the “Foolish Club”. Howsum was a professional sports executive and entrepreneur who also played a vital role in building the American Football League. He had the Broncos under his reign from 1959-1961 before passing it on to Gerald Phipps.
Gerald H. Phipps (1961-1981)
Gerald H. Phipps was the head of the Denver Broncos for two decades (1961-1981). He was also the chairman of the finance committee of the NFL from 1970-1981.
Edgar Kaiser Jr. (1981-1984)
The Denver Broncos were sold to Edgar Kaiser Jr., a Canadian financier and also the grandson of shipbuilding industrialist Henry J. Kaiser.
Pat Bowlen (1984-2019)
Denver Broncos (image via Getty )
The NFL franchise was sold to Canadian-American lawyer and businessman, Pat Dennis Bowlen in 1984. Under Bowlen, the Broncos won three Super Bowls and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 2019. Bowlen served as the CEO of the Broncos for over three decades before having to give up his chair after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019. He passed on his team in the Bowlen estate. It remained a part of the estate before being purchased by the Walton-Penner family in 2022.
Who are the co-owners of the Denver Broncos?
Carrie Walton-Penner (daughter of Rob Walton) and her husband Greg Penner were also part of the Denver Broncos takeover deal in 2022. They, along with Rob Walton, acquired the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion. Lewis Hamilton, Condoleezza Rice, and Mellody Hobson are also members of the ownership group; their ownership interests in the team remain unaltered by this deal.
Rob Walton’s Net Worth
Rob Walton has an approximate net worth of $87.5 billion as of July 2024, according to Forbes. He ranks 19th in the world on their list. Walton is the eldest son of Walmart’s founder Sam Walton and took over the chair in 1992.
FAQ's On Denver Broncos Owners
A. Robert Lee Howsman is the founder of the Denver Broncos who also helped set up AFL.
A. Lewis Hamilton joined the Walton-Penner family ownership group of the Broncos in 2022.
A. Rob Walton retired and passed on his chair to his son-in-law Greg Penner in 2024
A. Denver Broncos were established in 1961 playing at the Mile High Stadium.
