Stephen Ross has sold another minority ownership of the Miami Dolphins and his sports empire, placing the valuation at a staggering $12.5 billion.
The Miami Dolphins are a very lucrative team, as are most in the NFL. When valuations of teams are released, things tend to fluctuate from year to year.
The Dolphins held a valuation of $8.25 billion, which has now been increased by the sale of one percent of the team to a new investor.
Sportico reported that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has sold one percent of his empire, which includes the South Florida football team. The holding company that owns the Miami team also owns Hard Rock Stadium, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, and a piece of tennis’ Miami Open.
According to Sportico, the one percent stake as been sold to Lin Bin, the co-founder and vice chairman of Chinese consumer electronics company Xiaomi.
The NFL's finance committee has approved the deal, and it must now be approved by all 32 owners.
This is the second stake that Ross has sold in recent years, with another going to Ares Management, which purchased 10 percent of the Dolphins team, including Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Grand Prix. Around the same time, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsao and Blue Pool Capital CEO Oliver Weisberg also purchased a three percent stake in the team, which held the valuation at $8.1 billion in November 2024.
Despite percentages of Ross' empire being sold to investors, he retains majority control, and recently spoke about his plans for succession. Instead of selling the team to a new person or company, he will pass it on to his son-in-law, Daniel Sillman, when the time comes.
Ross also indicated at the time that he was offered $15 billion for the Dolphins, but declined. He would not say who offered that, but there is speculation that Lin was the person behind the offer.
Per Forbes, Lin is reportedly worth $10.4 billion and is the 304th richest person in the world.
NFL franchises continue to be some of the most lucrative investment opportunities for athletes, celebrities, and more. While organizations have remained within their own families, there are cases where new ownership steps in.
The Seattle Seahawks are set to be sold, and there is sure to be a bidding war for the team, considering they just won the Super Bowl in 2025.
For the Dolphins, Ross is not planning to outright sell the team, but there could be more investors jumping in on getting a slice of the proverbial pie in the coming years.