It s dawn? The new Lakers boss is known for spending money crazy, and he lets James see hope to win another championship

Merchants seek profit, don't talk about forever.

3 years ago, Jenny Buss still swore in front of the camera that he "will never sell the Lakers." Three years later, Jenny sold the Lakers to rich man Mark Walter at a record price of at least $10 billion.

This global sensational transaction still requires complicated procedures, but as far as the current situation is concerned, it is basically for sure that Walter has become a major shareholder of the Lakers. Who is

Walter? Why did the news that Walter acquired the Lakers came out, from Lakers' legend Magic Johnson to anonymous insiders who were all happy to be "dawn"?

The reason is that the enterprising Walter is the winner. He is never stingy in spending money to build a strong team. His resume of building the MLB team Los Angeles Dodgers into a championship team has allowed LeBron James and Luca Doncic to see hope for winning the championship.

In 1999, Walter and several partners co-founded the Guggenheim Investment Advisory Company, and Walter served as CEO. Now the company's asset management scale is as high as US$335 billion.

Walter was very interested in investing in the professional sports league. In 2012, he targeted the investment target on the Dodgers, who were in trouble at the time.

The Dodgers were struggling at that time, and they were hesitant to spend $4 million to sign a catcher, and the team's salary expenditure was outside the top ten in MLB. Boss Frank McCourt was accused by the MLB League of China of "unity to embezzle $189 million in team income for personal purposes" and "completely alienated the Dodgers fan base."

When McCourt decided to sell the Dodgers, Walter's appearance was like a timely rain, bringing new life to the Dodgers.

Walter, a consortium including Magic Johnson, spent a record $2.15 billion to complete the acquisition of the Dodgers. This move was ridiculed by the outside world, and people believed that the Dodgers were not worth so much money. But it turns out that Walter's wave is on the ceiling.

Walter quickly reached a local TV broadcast contract with Time Warner Cable after acquiring the Dodgers worth up to $8.35 billion (also shown as $7 billion in 25 years), and quickly paid off the debts owed when acquiring the Dodgers. Meanwhile, Walter began to make drastic reforms to the Dodgers, and the new management promised the players to "provide all the support the team needed" while working hard to repair their relationship with fans.

After Walter's "money ability" bonus, the Dodgers took the US to lead the way and quickly drove into the fast lane. In June 2012, the Dodgers signed Yassier Puig for $42 million, signing an $85 million contract extension with Andre Ishir. In addition, the Dodgers made crazy attacks in the trading market, completing major deals in July and August. The deal with the Boston Red Sox in August allowed the Dodgers to get four players, and the bills increased, with a total contract amount of up to $260 million.

"I don't want to save a dollar more, I'd rather have a good team, even if it might cost a little more," Walter once said.

Signing players at all costs and completing transactions is just the beginning. As long as it is helpful to building a championship division, the Dodgers are willing to do it, such as establishing a data analysis department, equiping the entire team with nutritionists, and expanding a club with spa facilities. In restoring relationships with fans, Walter has invested more than $500 million in renovating the stadium and also reduced parking fees from $15 to $10.

The Dodgers did not make the playoffs in 2012, but since then, the Dodgers have never missed the playoffs again. In 2020, the Dodgers won their first MLB championship in more than 30 years. A champion cannot satisfy Walter's ambitions. In December 2023, the Dodgers signed superstar Shohei Otani with a sky-high contract of $700 million, and they also gave starter Yushi Yamamoto a 12-year contract worth $325 million. In addition, the Dodgers signed stars like Black Snell in the free market and have made many achievements in the trading market.

The then mayor of Los Angeles Garsetti said: "This is far beyond our craziest expectations. This is a group of people committed to victory and investment. They will not be stingy in anything. This is exactly what Los Angeles deserve." In 2024, the Dodgers defeated their old rival New York Yankees and won the championship again, and Los Angeles celebrated. Mark Garnis, co-founder of Sportscorp, said: "Under Walter's leadership, the Dodgers are the best-managed team in the sports world, and they do almost everything right."

Now, who still mocks Walter for acquiring the Dodgers at a record price as a sucker?

According to sports financial media Sportico, the Dodgers' market value has grown wildly since Walter acquired the Dodgers, reaching $6.3 billion last year, with estimated annual revenue of $1 billion, and the latest valuation this year is $7.73 billion. Forbes magazine shows that Walter's personal assets are worth $6.1 billion, but the Bloomberg Billionaire Index shows that as the Dodgers' market value soared, Walter's personal assets also rose to $12.1 billion.

Walter's portfolio also includes Premier League giant Chelsea, WNBA team Los Angeles Sparks, etc. In 2021, he bought a 27% stake in the Lakers at a valuation of $5 billion. An insider around Walter confirmed that Walter's assets are at least $12 billion.

Helston Jr., a player who once played for the New York Yankees and Dodgers, told his teammates that the Dodgers are a paradise in baseball. Shohei Otani said that part of the reason he chose the Dodgers was the team boss' desire to invest and stability. According to statistics, the Dodgers’ wages and estimated luxury taxes reached nearly $500 million in 2025. Friedman, president of team operations, said "our business is in very good condition.".

In the MLB fan circle, Walter is a god-like existence. There was an online fan survey report before. Walter was selected as the most popular boss of MLB. Not only do the hardcore fans of the Dodgers recognize him, but fans of other teams also appreciate him. Who doesn’t envy the Dodgers who have a boss who invests at any cost to build a championship team?

Soon, after the Lakers' sales are completed, Walter will officially become the Lakers' boss. In recent years, the Lakers have not failed to complete large transactions, but have also paid some luxury taxes, but the Lakers are relatively frugal in paying coaches and management staff salaries, and their desire to create a lineup and spend money cannot be compared with previous teams such as the Warriors, Clippers, and Suns. It's no wonder that after the news of Walter's acquisition of the Lakers came out, an insider sighed, "I'm so excited that the Lakers can finally make the investment they deserve." Magic Johnson also commented on Walter with the "desire to pursue victory, pursue excellence, and willing to invest the resources needed to win."

Although the content of the labor-capital agreement between MLB and the NBA is different, Walter cannot copy the experience of successfully operating the Dodgers to operating the Lakers, with Walter's financial and professionalism, the Lakers may be able to really return to the championship team soon. After all, they already have two major stars, Doncic and James.

For James, who is still eager to compete for the championship in his twilight years of his career, and Doncic, who urgently needs to win the first championship in his career, Walter's entry into the Lakers at this time is undoubtedly a major benefit.