Who Owns The Commanders

The Washington Commanders are owned by an investment group led by managing partner Josh Harris, who purchased the franchise from Dan Snyder in July 2023 for $6.05 billion.

The new ownership has overseen a quick turnaround. The Commanders went 12–5 in 2024 under head coach Dan Quinn and rookie Jayden Daniels, reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. The 2025 NFLPA report cards gave the ownership an A+ grade. Off the field, Harris and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a $3.7 billion RFK Stadium redevelopment in April 2025, with a new stadium targeting a 2030 opening. Data on NFL fanbase demographics shows the league averaging 22.3 million viewers per game in week one of 2025.

Who Owns the Washington Commanders?

Josh Harris leads the Commanders’ ownership group as managing partner. He co-founded Apollo Global Management in 1990 alongside Leon Black and Marc Rowan after graduating from Harvard Business School, and left his day-to-day role there in 2021 to focus on sports through Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), the holding company he formed with David Blitzer in 2017.

Josh Harris: Managing Partner

Harris grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Before the Commanders, he assembled a multi-sport portfolio: the Philadelphia 76ers (bought for $280 million in 2011, now valued at $4.6 billion) and the New Jersey Devils ($320 million in 2013, now worth $2.1 billion). He also holds stakes in Crystal Palace F.C. and Joe Gibbs Racing, and founded asset manager 26North with over $25 billion under management. Forbes estimates his net worth at $11 billion.

David Blitzer: Co-Owner

Blitzer, a senior executive at Blackstone Group, co-owns the Sixers and Devils alongside Harris through HBSE and holds a stake in the Commanders. The two have collaborated on sports investments since 2011.

Largest Shareholders of the Washington Commanders

The Harris-led group includes 20 limited partners, staying under the NFL’s 25-partner cap. Each was vetted for financial and security reasons before the sale was approved.

Magic Johnson

NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson invested $242 million for a 4% stake. After basketball, he built wealth through joint ventures in movie theaters, Starbucks, real estate, and healthcare. The biggest piece is a 60% stake in EquiTrust, a life insurance company that has grown from $16 billion to $26 billion in assets since 2015. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.6 billion. He also holds investments in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sparks, and LAFC.

Mitchell Rales

Rales is a Maryland billionaire who co-founded Danaher Corporation and founded Glenstone, a nonprofit art museum in Potomac, Maryland. Like Harris, he has personal ties to the Washington area.

Mark Ein

Ein is a Washington D.C.-based venture capitalist and founder of Venturehouse Group. He has long been involved in D.C. sports and served as a key intermediary in Harris’s negotiations to acquire the team.

Eric Schmidt

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is among the limited partners, with an estimated net worth of $26.1 billion. He is known for his views on technology’s direction, including his predictions on a bifurcated internet driven by China.

Other Limited Partners

The remaining partners include Lee Ainslie (founder of hedge fund Maverick Capital), Eric Holoman, Michael Li, Marc Lipschultz and Doug Ostrover (co-founders of Blue Owl Capital), the Morgan family, the Santo Domingo family, Michael Sapir, and Andy Snyder (no relation to former owner Dan Snyder).

History of the Washington Commanders Ownership

From Jack Kent Cooke to Dan Snyder

Jack Kent Cooke owned the franchise during its most successful era, overseeing three Super Bowl victories. After Cooke died in 1997, Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999 for $800 million. In 24 years under Snyder, the franchise went 164–220–2 with just six playoff appearances and never advanced past the divisional round.

Snyder’s Exit

An independent investigation in 2023 found that Snyder had sexually harassed a team employee and deliberately underreported NFL revenues, resulting in a $60 million fine. He put the team on the market in November 2022, reached a deal with Harris in May 2023, and NFL owners unanimously approved the $6.05 billion sale on July 20, 2023.

A New Direction

Harris invested $75 million into stadium improvements in the first year and replaced football operations entirely. By 2025, players ranked the Commanders among the top organizations in the NFL on NFLPA report cards — a complete reversal from where the franchise stood under Snyder.

Who Is on the Board of Directors for the Washington Commanders?

As a privately held NFL franchise, the Commanders have no publicly listed board of directors. Governance sits with the ownership group, with Harris as the principal decision-maker alongside senior executives in football and business operations.

Football Operations

Adam Peters serves as general manager, joining from the San Francisco 49ers. He hired Dan Quinn as head coach in February 2024, and together they led the rebuild from a 4–13 record in 2023 to the NFC Championship in 2024. Quinn earned an A+ in the 2025 NFLPA report card — one of only two head coaches to receive that grade.

Business and Stadium Development

The ownership group’s primary off-field project is the RFK Stadium redevelopment. Harris and D.C. Mayor Bowser confirmed a $3.7 billion project in April 2025 with a $2.7 billion stadium targeting a 2030 opening, moving the team from Northwest Stadium in Landover back into Washington, D.C.

Ownership Oversight Model

Harris has drawn a clear line between ownership and football operations — a deliberate change from Snyder’s style. Blitzer, Rales, and Ein are most closely involved in organizational strategy alongside Harris. Ein has noted that Harris’s method is to hire capable people and step back, consistent with how HBSE’s other franchises are run.

FAQs

Who is the current owner of the Washington Commanders?

Josh Harris is the managing partner and principal owner. He leads a 20-member ownership group that purchased the team from Dan Snyder in July 2023 for $6.05 billion.

How much did Josh Harris pay for the Washington Commanders?

Harris’s group paid $6.05 billion in 2023 — the highest price ever paid for a North American sports franchise at the time of the deal.

Does Magic Johnson own part of the Washington Commanders?

Yes. Magic Johnson owns a 4% stake, having invested $242 million as part of the Harris ownership group when the sale was approved in July 2023.

What is Josh Harris’s net worth?

Forbes estimates Harris’s net worth at approximately $11 billion, derived from his stake in Apollo Global Management, asset management firm 26North, and his sports portfolio.

Who owned the Commanders before Josh Harris?

Dan Snyder owned the franchise from 1999 until 2023, buying it for $800 million. He sold after investigations into workplace misconduct and financial impropriety led to a $60 million NFL fine.