Jerry Reinsdorf

Net worth over time

Forbes estimates of Jerry Reinsdorf's net worth each year, next to the Forbes value of the Chicago Bulls. From 2015 to now the net worth went from $1.3B to $2.3B.

Yearly points are from the Forbes billionaires lists, mostly the spring World's Billionaires list; the last point is the latest Forbes real-time figure, which can differ a lot from the spring list. Years without a published figure are skipped.

The businesses in detail

How the main business makes money. Balcor earned fees for organising and managing property partnerships. He sold it, then led investor groups that bought two Chicago teams cheaply. Almost all his wealth now is the rise in value of those teams. The Bulls earn the profit: $177M of operating income on $482M of revenue in 2025-26. The White Sox lost $40M in 2025.

Biggest deals.

• 1981: led the group that bought the White Sox for $19M; Forbes and CBS say $20M.
• 1982: sold Balcor to Shearson/American Express for $102M (Forbes, Wikipedia); Encyclopedia.com says $53M.
• 1985: his syndicate paid $9.2M for 56.8% of the Bulls. The full story is on the Chicago Bulls page.
• June 2025: gave Justin Ishbia a path to White Sox control. Reinsdorf may sell between 2029 and 2033; Ishbia holds the option after the 2034 season.
• June 2026: Lukas and Samantha Walton agreed to buy minority interests in the Bulls and United Center from limited partners.

Career path

1. 1960

   Leaves Northwestern law school; starts as an IRS tax lawyer

2. 1973

   Co-founds Balcor; sells it in 1982

3. 1981

   Leads the White Sox purchase from Bill Veeck

4. 1985

   Buys control of the Bulls on 11 March

5. 1991-98

   Bulls win six NBA titles

6. 2005

   White Sox win the World Series

7. 2016

   Enters the Naismith Hall of Fame as a contributor

8. 2025

   Signs the White Sox succession deal with Justin Ishbia

9. 2026

   Bulls replace their basketball chiefs in April; the Waltons buy in on 26 June

Teams and sports assets

Owns now 5

• teamChicago BullsNBA · basketball · USSince 1985 · about 40% (Forbes estimate); controlling partner · $9.2M for 56.8% (his syndicate), a $16M team value
• teamChicago White SoxMLB · baseball · USSince 1981 · about 19% (Forbes estimate); controlling owner · $19M with Eddie Einhorn (Forbes and CBS: $20M)
• arenaUnited Centerbasketball and ice hockey · USSince 1994 · 50% through the Bulls · built for $175M with Bill Wirtz, privately financed
• sports businessChicago Sports Networkmulti-sport (regional TV) · USSince 2024 · co-owner with Standard Media and the Wirtz Corporation
• sports businessStadium (sports video network)multi-sport (digital video) · USSince 2017 · controlling interest through Silver Chalice since May 2023

Owned before 2

• sports businessNBC Sports Chicago (earlier Comcast SportsNet Chicago)multi-sport (regional TV) · USSince 2004 to 2024 · co-owned through his two teams; shares unclear
• teamAppleton FoxesMidwest League · baseball · USowner

Other investments and assets

• Companies and funds: Silver Chalice, the White Sox's media investment arm, owns the Stadium sports video network.
• Property: The 1901 Project is a $7B redevelopment around the United Center, run with the Wirtz family. It plans almost 9,500 homes; work on a music hall began in June 2026.
• Family in the business: Son Michael, Bulls president since 2010, is president and CEO.

Giving and politics

• Team charities CharitaBulls and White Sox Charities; he received the 2011 Jefferson Award for Public Service.
• His politics are stadium politics: he lobbied Illinois lawmakers for stadium incentives in the 1980s.
• CBS Chicago reported he sought about $1B of public money for a South Loop ballpark. Governor JB Pritzker said it was not a priority.

How they run their teams

• Michael runs the Bulls daily and leads searches; Jerry gives final approval on hires.
• He keeps executives for long stretches. Arturas Karnisovas, fired on 6 April 2026, was only his third basketball chief.
• The Bulls have paid the luxury tax, the league's charge on high payrolls, only once.
• The Bulls went 31-51 in 2025-26, a fourth straight year out of the playoffs.

What they have said

• His strength is picking able people and giving them room; he hires for work ethic and loyalty.
• At Balcor he learned to delegate; he judges a decision by its reasoning, not its result.
• The Bulls he took over were poorly run, with three busy principal owners and almost no ticket-sales staff.
• He keeps owning because he enjoys the work, even when results are poor.
• He intends to run the White Sox for as long as he is able.

Little-known facts

• He watched Jackie Robinson's Dodgers debut from the stands at Ebbets Field.
• He signed Michael Jordan to a minor-league baseball contract during Jordan's first retirement.
• All 216 United Center suites were leased before opening, at $55,000 to $175,000 a year. That covered the loan payments.
• He once owned the Appleton Foxes, a minor league baseball team that won three Midwest League titles.