Inside the High-Stakes Deal: How Mark Walter and Josh Kushner Sealed the $12.5 Billion Lakers Sale Against All Odds

Walter has been at the center of a federal loan investigation. His holding company, TWG Global, is in talks with investors to raise money to help pay down loans on the books of its insurers that had drawn scrutiny from the Justice Department, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources. He and Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly sold their small stake in the English Premier League club Chelsea last month, The Financial Times reported, and he reportedly is seeking to sell the WNBA’s Sparks.

Bob Iger, Disney’s former chief executive, is in partnership with Kushner on the deal. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Lakers owner Mark Walter and Josh Kushner of Thrive Capital have agreed to the outstanding terms of the team’s sale, valued at an NBA-record .5 billion, according to several people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. There’s buzz in the air—big, loud, unmistakable buzz—and it’s coming from the world of hoops. Mark Walter, the Dodgers’ owner who’s kept a pretty low profile for all the right reasons, and Josh Kushner, the Thrive Capital guy with some serious venture chops (and yes, that Kushner), are reportedly on the brink of sealing a deal that’s shaking the NBA to its core. We’re talking a record-setting .5 billion price tag, folks. It’s a game-changer, no question, and while the ink hasn’t hit the paper yet, insiders say the terms are locked in tight after some discreet powwows down in Florida. This isn’t just a sale—it’s a catapult into a whole new chapter for the Lakers, one that the NBA’s Board of Governors still needs to give a thumbs-up to before it officially goes down. Money talks, power shifts, and history beckons. Intrigued? You should be. LEARN MORE It’s unclear if Walter has given Kushner a deadline to close the deal, but Kushner has assured Walter that he has the funds to complete the transaction. Read more: Lakers blow 25-point lead in double-digit loss to Warriors Read more: Buss family asks judge to dismiss Jeanie Buss’ petition to block Lakers share sale Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers. Kushner, a venture capitalist and the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump‘s son-in-law, met at the Florida home of Walter, owner of the Dodgers and chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, to finalize the terms of the agreement, according to one person. In August, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said Walter will not sell the Dodgers, a stance reiterated in a statement issued by Walter’s holdings company in September. The agreement between Walter and Kushner, which still needs to be signed, will need to be reviewed by the NBA. The league’s Board of Governors will then have to approve the sale before it becomes official. Walter bought a majority ownership stake in the Lakers in 2025 from the Buss family, who had owned the Lakers for more than four decades, for an evaluation of billion. He agreed to sell the Lakers less than a year after officially becoming the team owner.