The LA Lakers are being sold in a record-breaking deal. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, “the Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to American businessman Josh Kushner and Bob Iger” for a record-breaking price of over $12.5 billion.

“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,” Shelburne added in a tweet.

Kushner and Iger released a joint statement following the report: “As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”

While Iger is a familiar name from his decades leading The Walt Disney Company, Josh Kushner is a far less public figure. Here’s everything to know about the Lakers’ new co-owner.

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Who Is Josh Kushner?

Joshua Kushner was born June 12, 1985, in Livingston, New Jersey. He’s the founder and managing partner of venture capital firm Thrive Capital, which he launched in 2009 while still a student, and co-founder and vice-chairman of health insurance company Oscar Health.

Kushner has built a reputation in business circles as a sharp, early-stage tech investor, with Thrive backing companies including Instagram, Spotify, Kickstarter and A24 well before they became household names.

He is not a former athlete and has no NBA playing background. His connection to the league prior to this deal came through a reported 2.5% minority ownership stake in the Memphis Grizzlies, which he acquired in 2019.

Who Is Josh Kushner’s Wife?

Kushner is married to supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss. The two began dating in 2012, got engaged in 2018, and married that same year in a small Jewish ceremony in upstate New York, followed by a larger, Western-themed celebration at a Wyoming ranch in 2019.

Kloss, who converted to Judaism before the wedding, is known internationally for her modeling career. Including her years as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, as well as founding Kode With Klossy, a nonprofit coding program for young women. The couple shares three children together: Levi Joseph, born in March 2021, Elijah Jude, born in July 2023, and a daughter, Rae Florence, born in 2025.

Who Are Josh Kushner’s Parents & Siblings?

Kushner is the youngest son of real estate developer Charles Kushner and Seryl Stadtmauer. His paternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors from Poland who later settled in the United States.

Josh has three siblings. Jared Kushner, who served as a senior White House adviser during Donald Trump’s first term and is married to Ivanka Trump, Nicole Kushner Meyer and an older sister, Dara. Despite differing political views from much of his family, Josh has been described as remaining close with his siblings, reportedly referring to Ivanka simply as his sister.

What Is Josh Kushner’s Net Worth?

Forbes estimates Kushner’s net worth at approximately $5.2 billion as of 2026. The bulk of that fortune comes from his roughly 50-66% ownership stake in Thrive Capital, a firm that now manages tens of billions of dollars in assets and has backed major companies across tech, media and healthcare.

Additional wealth comes from his stake in Oscar Health, which went public in 2021 at a valuation exceeding $8 billion.

How Did Josh Kushner Become a Lakers Owner and What Is His Role With the Los Angeles Lakers?

Kushner and Iger’s path to Lakers ownership began with a different pursuit entirely. Both had been involved in discussions around a potential NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas.

Rather than wait out that process, the pair pivoted to making an aggressive direct offer for the Lakers once the opportunity arose, ultimately agreeing to purchase the team from Mark Walter for the reported $12.5 billion.

Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, had only taken over as the Lakers’ controlling owner roughly a year earlier. He bought out the Buss family’s controlling stake at a then-record $10 billion valuation. The Lakers transaction does not affect Walter’s ownership of the Dodgers, which he retains along with his other sports holdings.

Specific details of Kushner’s individual ownership percentage, day-to-day operational role, and how much authority he’ll hold within the new ownership group alongside Iger have not yet been made public.

What Is Josh Kushner’s Ethnicity & Nationality?

Kushner is an American citizen, born and raised in New Jersey. He comes from a Jewish family; his paternal grandparents were Polish Holocaust survivors who emigrated to the United States after World War II. Kushner himself was raised within that Jewish heritage, which was also reflected in his own wedding ceremony to Karlie Kloss.