Major League Baseball is keeping an eye on Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, who is under investigation for his financial dealings.
An internal whistleblower complaint in spring of 2025 turned attention towards Walter, who had built one of the most successful sports empires in the country over the 15 years. Walter is accused of improperly directing policyholder funds and misrepresenting portfolio loans to assist him in his personal ventures.
“As always when we have an investigation, external law enforcement, whatever, we monitor that and that’s where we are right now,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said.
In the midst of this investigation, Walter sold his ownership stakes in the English Premier League’s Chelsea FC and the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. He is also reportedly seeking to sell the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks at a valuation of $700 million, a record for that league. If he does sell the Sparks, Walter will still own the Dodgers, Cadillac’s F1 team and the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Is Mark Walter Going to Sell the Dodgers?
While Walter’s dealings cast some doubt on his future with the Dodgers, president Stan Kasten openly denied that the ownership group would sell any time soon.
“I wanted to make sure everyone understood one thing very clearly: The Dodgers are not being sold,” Kasten said.
“They’re not gonna be sold. They’re not for sale. There’s no process that has been started to sell it, period. We are planning only to win. That is what we are always doing. And we are still continuing to do that.”
Walter and Guggenheim Baseball Management bought the Dodgers from Frank McCourt in 2012 after the team filed for bankruptcy the year prior. The Dodgers have seen unparalleled success since Walter’s arrival, having made every postseason since 2013 and winning the division in 13 of the last 14 seasons—the exception being in 2021, when they finished second despite winning 106 games. They also have three World Series in that stretch—the most of any team.
Walter is undoubtedly one of the key driving factors in the Dodgers’ recent success, but if the results of the federal probe don’t favor him, there could be some serious implications for both him and the Dodgers.
