The Unstoppable Rise of Jeanie Marie Buss — A Billion-Dollar Legacy

From the sun-drenched tennis courts of Southern California to the boardrooms of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises, Jeanie Buss has always been more than “the boss’s daughter.” Her journey — marked by grit, ambition, family legacy, and business acumen — has made her one of the most powerful women in sports. Born on September 26, 1961, her birthday remains a milestone for a life built around breaking barriers and leading with vision.

A Foundation Built on Ambition and Early Exposure

Jeanie Marie Buss grew up in Santa Monica, California, the third child of real-estate investor and sports magnate Jerry Buss and his then-wife. From an early age, she was immersed in her father’s world of sports and business. At just 14 she accompanied him to meetings for the family-owned tennis franchise, and by the time she was 19 — while studying business at the University of Southern California — she became general manager of the family’s World TeamTennis squad, the Los Angeles Strings.

Though many might have coasted on the family name, Buss embraced responsibility, learning the inner mechanics of running a sports franchise long before the public knew her name. Her early hands-on roles laid the foundation for what would become a storied career — one driven not by entitlement, but by determination.

Navigating the Buss Empire — From Rocky Hockey to NBA Halls of Power

Jeanie's early management extended beyond tennis. When the Strings folded, she pivoted to roller hockey, becoming owner of the Los Angeles Blades, a team in Roller Hockey International. That move earned her “Executive of the Year” honors from the league — a rare achievement for a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Her resume expanded further when she became president of the Great Western Forum, the former home arena of the Los Angeles Lakers. Over several years, her role with the Lakers deepened. She served as the team’s Alternate Governor on the National Basketball Association (NBA) Board of Governors starting in 1995, before being named Executive Vice President of Business Operations in 1999.

The transition from arena executive to franchise steward was finalized after Jerry Buss’s death in 2013. Ownership of the Lakers passed to a trust shared by his six children. In the ensuing years, amid internal family tensions over control, Jeanie emerged as the key decision-maker. By 2017, she had secured controlling authority over the franchise — signaling not just a family victory, but a milestone for women in sports leadership.

The Value of a Legacy — Wealth, Influence, and Major Moves

As of 2025, estimates of Jeanie Buss’s net worth vary across sources — but all agree on one thing: it reflects her decades-long stewardship of a global sports dynasty. Some outlets place her net worth around US$700 million. Others — citing her sustained ownership stake, legacy inheritance, and diversified business interests — estimate it at US$1 billion.

That wealth isn’t solely tied to the Lakers. Beyond basketball, she co-owns and helps run Women of Wrestling (WOW), a wrestling promotion focused on female athletes — a venture that has brought renewed attention to women’s representation in sports entertainment.

In mid-2025, in one of the most significant recent developments, the family agreed — with Jeanie’s support — to sell the majority stake in the Lakers at a franchise valuation of roughly US$10 billion. Even as the sale proceeds, Jeanie is expected to remain the team governor — ensuring her influence endures even after nearly half a century of family stewardship concludes.

Personal Chapters: Relationships, Choices, and Private Life

Buss’s personal life has attracted as much attention as her professional one. In 1990 she married Olympic volleyball star Steve Timmons, but the marriage ended in 1993. Reflecting on that period, she once admitted that she “never put my marriage first” — her ambition and commitment to business always came first.

Beginning in December 1999, she entered a long-term relationship with former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. The two became engaged in 2013, but mutually ended their engagement in December 2016.

More recently, in September 2023, Jeanie Buss married comedian and actor Jay Mohr in a private Malibu ceremony. The relationship had reportedly begun around 2017 — marking a new chapter in her personal life.

In interviews and public appearances, Buss has spoken candidly about her decision not to have children — a choice she says was rooted in her focus on building a career and maintaining operational control of the businesses she helms.

What It Means to Lead — Legacy, Impact, and the Future

Jeanie Buss’s life is a study in transformation: transforming inherited opportunity into earned authority; transforming a men-dominated boardroom into a space where a woman doesn’t just participate — she leads. Under her stewardship, the Lakers captured the 2020 NBA championship — making her the first female controlling owner to lead a team to that title.

Her tenure has never been about resting on legacy alone. Through strategic investments like WOW, plus expansion into real estate and media ventures, she’s diversified the Buss brand beyond basketball.

With the majority-stake sale of the Lakers to new ownership underway (valued at roughly $10 billion), Buss isn’t exiting the scene — she’s evolving. She remains governor, a steward of tradition, and a symbol of how business savvy, resolve, and perseverance can rewrite expectations in even the most storied institutions.

Jeanie Buss’s story — marked by power struggles, bold decisions, and constant reinvention — reminds us that legacy is not a static inheritance. It’s built, defended, and transformed. Her birthday, September 26, remains a quiet anchor to that journey.