Irv and Wyc Grousbeck have been the owners of the Boston Celtics since Boston Basketball Partners bought the team in 2002. The father (Irv) and son (Wyc) duo are now planning to sell the team as Irv Grousbeck is about to turn 90.

Wyc Grousbeck will remain as president of the Celtics through the 2028 season, giving him time to bring another title to Boston. However, his stake will be sold no later than early 2025. So the Celtics are preparing for a major change.

According to recent reports, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has emerged as a leading candidate to become the new Celtics owner. The world’s second-richest billionaire is the owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders and an avid sports fan.

Here’s what to know about the rumors surrounding Bezos and the Celtics.

Would Jeff Bezos buy the Celtics?

The Information reported that a person close to Bezos confirmed that the tech mogul “has no plans to make a bid for the Boston Celtics.” However, buying the Celtics is still a potential project and is being considered by Bezos.

In a recent podcast, Bill Simmons of the Ringer insisted that there were “accurate rumors” about Bezos buying the Celtics.

“I think that’s true,” Simmons said. “I think he’ll be one of the people who pursue this.”

The Celtics’ payroll is currently set at $201.6 million per year for the next four seasons. That makes the reigning NBA champions one of the biggest in the league, and they are already above the NBA’s salary cap. As a result, the club must pay a large fine each year, requiring the owners to have a strong financial foundation to maintain the club’s competitiveness.

Bezos is the second richest person in the world behind Elon Musk, so he can easily help the Celtics retain their stars and stay competitive.

Notably, the Celtics currently lease the TD Garden arena from the NHL’s Boston Bruins. According to the Ringer’s Simmons, if Bezos were to buy the Celtics, he could build his own basketball arena.

“Why is Jeff Bezos doing that when he looks at the Celtics? What is he seeing?” Simmons asked. “What does he want? Is it an Amazon arena? Is the end game a state-of-the-art arena for concerts and basketball?”

Such possibilities certainly make Bezos an attractive option to Celtics fans — even if he isn’t a longtime Celtics fan like the Grousbeck family is. The only question is whether Bezos would be willing to make a big offer to buy the NBA’s most successful team.

How much are the Celtics worth?

According to Bill Simmons, the Celtics could be sold for around $6 billion.

“The league wants $6 billion for the Celtics,” Simmons reported. “It’s a crazy price, but they’ll probably get it.”

“They also want about $6 billion to expand two more teams. That means each NBA owner will get $400 million,” Simmons added.

The NBA is considering adding two teams to the league, with Seattle, Las Vegas and Mexico City being targeted. If Bezos were to buy the Celtics, he would be among the owners who would receive $400 million after the NBA expands. That could convince the billionaire to act quickly and reach out to the Celtics.

Jeff Bezos net worth

According to Forbes, as of August 19, 2024, Jeff Bezos has a net worth of $195.6 billion. That makes him the second-richest person in the world behind Elon Musk ($246.9 billion). Bezos would become the richest NBA owner if he bought a team, surpassing LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer — who ranks 10th in the world with a net worth of $123.7 billion.