When former Los Angeles Dodgers owners' divorce sparked speculation about the team's fate
Former billionaire couple, Frank and Jamie McCourt purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004 for $430 million from NewsCorp, Rupert Murdoch's flagship enterprise. They had previously been involved in real estate in Boston and were looking to expand their business portfolio. They were attracted to the team's storied history, passionate fan base, and its potential for leveraging the Los Angeles market.
The McCourts' tenure as owners was marked by a number of controversies. They were accused of using team funds for their own personal use. Especially, the team was embroiled in a contentious divorce between the two owners in 2011. Eventually, Frank and Jamie divorced in late 2011, ending their 30-year marriage. In the settlement, Jamie received $130 million and gave up any claim to a share of the LA Dodgers.
Next, former owner Frank McCourt sold the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise to Guggenheim Baseball Management for a record $2 billion on March 27, 2012. In an interesting turn of events, Frank's estranged wife Jamie came forward saying that he misled about the team’s real value and claimed to overturn the settlement.
"There is not a scintilla of evidence to support Jamie's ever-changing claims," Robert Sacks, a lawyer for former Dodger owner Frank McCourt said during closing arguments of a non-jury trial. "It lacks credibility."
Ultimately, the judge ruled that no proper evidence was found that Frank McCourt deluded his ex-wife, Jamie in any way.
Los Angeles Dodgers has been owned by 18 different groups to date
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a long and storied history. The team began in 1883 as the Brooklyn Atlantics. Since then, the franchise has had 18 different ownership groups.
The current ownership group is Guggenheim Baseball Management and includes Mark Walter, Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten, Peter Guber, Bobby Patton, Todd Boehly, Billie Jean King, Ilana Kloss, Alan Smolinisky & Robert L. Plummer.
This group has been credited with turning the Dodgers into a successful and profitable franchise.