Mark Walter’s Lakers Sale To Josh Kushner Prompts Conspiracy Theories As Walter Faces Federal Fraud Probe

Aug 13, 2026 04:14 AM - 2 hours ago 3

Topline

he timing of Mark Walter’s Lakers waste to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger is prompting conspiracy theories the Trump administration’s fraud investigation into Walter mightiness person played a domiciled successful the woody to use the relative of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, weeks aft Josh Kushner’s scheme to bargain portion of FIFA unraveled.

President Donald Trump shows an LA Dodgers Championship Ring adjacent to Los Angeles Dodgers proprietor Mark Walter during a ceremonial to grant the 2025 World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers successful the Rose Garden astatine the White House successful Washington, DC, connected July 23, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Kushner, the billionaire laminitis of Thrive Capital, and Iger, the erstwhile Disney CEO who joined Thrive earlier this year, purchased a controlling liking successful the squad from Walter, whose financial services business is facing probes by some national prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Walter, who Forbes estimates is worthy $7.3 billion, bought the Lakers 14 months agone astatine a then-record $10 cardinal valuation, and sold his liking to Kushner and Iger astatine a $12.5 cardinal valuation, mounting a caller grounds for the largest ever waste of a sports team.

Adding an further furniture of speculation to the timing is that Thrive’s woody to bargain a information of the FIFA World Cup collapsed little than 2 weeks ago—a scheme involving a Trump ally, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, that fell isolated amid disapproval of backstage equity’s engagement successful the deal.

Some successful the sports business world formed uncertainty that the Trump-adjacent factors were a coincidence successful the aftermath of the Lakers news connected Wednesday, though an unnamed White House spokesperson told Front Office Sports the waste “has thing to do pinch President Trump aliases his administration.”

Sports business expert Joe Pompliano raised questions astir the timing, penning connected X, “I wouldn’t opportunity I’m a conspiracy theorist, but it does look weird that a feline who owns aggregate sports teams and was successful the mediate of rebuilding the Lakers full business cognition would waste the squad for a 20% summation successful 2 years astatine the aforesaid clip he is being investigated for fraud.”

Former longtime Fox Sports 1 and ESPN characteristic Skip Bayless called the waste “a shocker,” adding, “Does it person to do pinch 2 companies owned by Mark Walter being investigated for taxation fraud? Yes, Walter is making astir 2 cardinal successful astir 10 months. But the Cowboys/Yankees/Lakers are conscionable truthful difficult to get that you don't quickly rate out.”

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“So……. the Mark Walter national investigation colliding pinch Gianni Infantino’s preferred private-equity backers is………… a lot,” Pablo Torre, big of the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” investigative podcast, tweeted Wednesday morning.

What is Walter being investigated for?

Manhattan national prosecutors and the SEC are investigating imaginable fraud related to private-credit deals involving loans from security companies Walter owns passed done a 3rd statement to companies tied to him aliases his conglomerate, TWG Global, the Wall Street Journal reported successful July. The insurers acknowledged the investigations successful June regulatory filings, penning “errors were identified related to the recognition and position of definite related-party investments.” One of the insurers, Delaware Life, besides reclassified astir $16 cardinal successful investments arsenic affiliated, up from $1 billion, though it’s unclear if the institution was initially alert that the investments were affiliated pinch Walter. Fitch ratings agency besides told the Los Angeles Times different Walter insurer, Clear Spring, reclassified $4.6 cardinal worthy of loans arsenic affiliated. Delaware Life and Clear Spring person some received subpoenas related to the probe, according to the Journal. Walter’s cellphone and machine were besides seized by the FBI successful September past year, Bloomberg reported successful July. A TWG Global spokesperson told the Journal successful a connection that “Mark Walter and TWG person ever acted successful bully faith, and those who person done business pinch Mark cognize him arsenic honorable and straightforward. Nothing astir these transactions was immoderate different,” adding “we are assured these matters will beryllium resolved favorably.”

Why did Kushner’s FIFA woody autumn apart?

Some salient FIFA members powerfully opposed the thought of trading a information of the nonprofit to backstage investors. The Union of European Football Associations said teams from its 55 personnel associations would boycott FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, “so agelong arsenic these proposals stay alive.” CONCACAF, the shot governing assemblage for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, said past period it would cull the plan. FIFA main operating serviceman Kevin Lamour besides said executives opposed the plan, accusing Infantino—who pushed the deal—of having “deceived” them and leaving them retired of negotiations. The scheme progressive spinning disconnected FIFA’s commercialized business, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, into a subsidiary owned partially by backstage investors, led by Thrive. Trump warned FIFA against removing Infantino successful a station connected Truth Social Monday, his first nationalist defense of Infantino aft telling reporters past period he did not speak to him astir the projected sale. FIFA issued an apology to its members past week for “errors” handling the alleged FIFA Forward Enterprise Plan, but said it supported Infantino remaining president.

Key Background

Walter co-founded the Guggenheim Partners financial firm, and TWG Global is the holding institution that controls his insurers, his liking successful Guggenheim and his ownership successful sports teams, including the Dodgers and Chelsea Premier League shot team, according to CNBC. Guggenheim besides faced a abstracted SEC probe past twelvemonth complete really the institution represented its revenues to extracurricular parties, according to Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, though the position of that investigation is unclear.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Walter does not scheme to waste the Dodgers, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. Forbes estimates the Dodgers are worthy $7.8 billion, ranking them No. 2 successful worth among Major League Baseball teams, down the New York Yankees.