A lawyer for Lakers controlling governor Jeanie Buss said she had not agreed with her five siblings to sell their combined 17.8% stake, casting doubt on the announced $12.5 billion sale to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger.
That challenge hits less than a week after the deal surfaced and before closing terms are settled, leaving uncertainty over whether the Buss family stake needed for the transaction is actually committed.
Josh Kushner still would have to divest his estimated $80 million Miami Heat stake before any Lakers purchase can go through, adding another execution hurdle.
The dispute lands as Kushner’s wealth has surged to an estimated $16.7 billion from $5.2 billion a year earlier, driven by Thrive’s $65 billion in assets and a separate $2 billion fundraising at a $12.5 billion valuation.
Even with the ownership question unresolved, the Lakers deal would rank as a record sports-team sale and could carry major tax advantages if structured to amortize up to 90% of the purchase price.