- Lamar Hunt Sr., the founder of the Kansas City Chiefs, has made a lasting impact in not only in football, but also in basketball, soccer, and tennis.
The Kansas City Chiefs are seeking their third consecutive Super Bowl win, potentially adding a historic feat to a storied and lucrative franchise.
The Chiefs are owned by Lamar Hunt Jr., Sharron Hunt, Clark Hunt, and Daniel Hunt, who are children of the late Lamar Hunt Sr., the franchise founder. The family has kept ownership of the club since its beginnings in 1959, when it helped launch the American Football League, a direct competitor to the NFL.
“I think it’s really amazing how big the game has become and it’s something that, as a family, we think a lot about those early Super Bowls, which my dad had a chance to be part of,” Chiefs CEO and chairman Clark Hunt said on the Rich Eisen Show this past week.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have also been a mainstay in recent Super Bowls, appearing in their fifth championship game in the last six seasons.
The team’s fortunes on the field have helped its fortunes off the field, as its valuation has jumped to $4.85 billion, 24th in the league, from $1.5 billion in 2015, according to Forbes.
“The valuations are fascinating to look at, but it’s not something that our family really focuses on. We’re in the sport because we love the sport and we love the community,” Clark Hunt told CNBC on Wednesday.
Still, the team has helped enrich the Hunt family, which Forbes says has a net worth of $24.8 billion, making it America’s 12th richest family. That’s up from $14.2 billion in 2015.
The Kansas City Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Oil fortune
The Hunt wealth runs back to Lamar Sr.’s father, H.L. Hunt, who owned one of the biggest oil deposits in the world and founded Hunt Oil. He turned his business into the largest family-owned oil company in the U.S.
In addition to oil success, he diversified his assets, investing in other industries like publishing, cosmetics and pecan farming. When H.L. Hunt passed away in 1974, his net worth was estimated at $2 billion-$3 billion, according to Britannica.
His descendants are also billionaires. Son Ray Lee is worth $9.16 billion, Bloomberg estimates. He is chairman emeritus of Hunt Consolidated, which owns Hunt Oil Company, Hunt Energy, and Hunt Realty investments. Additionally, Ray Lee owns ranches through Hoodoo Land Holdings and real estate with Hunt Realty.
In 2008, H.L. Hunt’s oldest children, Margaret and H.L. Hunt III, sold Hunt Petroleum to XTO Energy in a $4.2 billion cash and stock deal.
Son William Herbert controlled Petro-Hunt, which purchased minerals and royalties, and holds part-ownership of Placid Refining, an oil refinery in Louisiana. He also was a real estate developer in Arizona, Texas, and California. He passed away in April 2024.
His daughter Caroline founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts then sold it for $229.5 million in 2011. She passed away in 2018.
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Aside from his Kansas City Chiefs ownership, Lamar Hunt Sr. was an initial investor in the Chicago Bulls and invested in other teams around the globe, especially after visiting England during the 1966 World Cup and was inspired to create American professional soccer.
In 1967, he founded the Dallas Tornado (now FC Dallas) and the North American Soccer League. Additionally, Hunt invested in the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) and the Columbus Crew.
In 1994, the World Cup was played on American soil for the first time and Hunt was key to orchestrating the tournament. In 1996, the Hunt family became a charter investor in Major League Soccer. Additionally, Lamar Hunt Sr. cofounded the World Championship of Tennis.
He passed away from prostate cancer in 2006, leaving his children—Lamar Jr., Sharron, Clark, and Daniel—with 25% stakes in the Chiefs. They each have net worths of $1.6 billion, according to Forbes, which lists the Chiefs as the source of their wealth.
Following his father’s footsteps, Clark Hunt is a key player in Kansas City’s bid to host 2026 World Cup games.
“Hosting the FIFA World Cup is a once in a generation opportunity for our city, our community, and our region,” Hunt said at a World Cup event.