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Just one year after Mark Walter purchased a controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers from the Buss family, the billionaire business mogul is selling the team to a duo that includes one of the most influential media executives of the past 20 years. According to a report by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Walter is selling the Lakers to Josh Kushner, brother of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared, and former Disney CEO Bob Iger, who stepped down from his role as top executive at the company earlier this year. Per Shelburne, the duo is purchasing the Lakers for a record-setting price of $12.5 billion. The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to American businessman Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record breaking price over $12 billion, multiple sources told ESPN. Kushner and Iger were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but a stunning turn, they pivoted to make an… — Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) August 12, 2026 Shelburne adds: “Kushner and Iger were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but a stunning turn, they pivoted to make an aggressive offer to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter, who had purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year.” The reported sale would mark quite a nice return-on-investment for Walter, who purchased a controlling stake in the Lakers at a reported $10 billion valuation in June 2025. Walter provided a statement to ESPN following Shelburne’s report calling his Lakers purchase an “extraordinary investment.” “Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life – an extraordinary investment, but what I will carry with me is the community, the fans, and a city that treats this team as family. I am grateful to Jeanie Buss, the Buss family, the players, and the staff for welcoming me into this chapter. The Lakers belong to Los Angeles, and I have every confidence the best is still ahead.” It’s unclear exactly why Walter is selling the Lakers so soon after buying the team, though multiple recent reports in the Wall Street Journal could provide some explanation. Last month, the Journal published a report that there is a federal probe into Walter’s financial conglomerate, TWG Global, over potential fraud. Days later, the Journal published a separate report that Walter suffered a stroke in 2024, which has caused some within his business to see his health as a matter of concern. The exact terms of Walter’s sale of the Lakers, including exactly how much of the team Kushner and Iger will own, are not yet known.