Synopsis
Stan Kroenke, now America’s largest private landowner and one of the most powerful figures in global sports, began his working life by sweeping floors at his father’s lumber business in rural Missouri. Over the decades, he built his fortune through real estate development, strategic investments, and the creation of a vast sports empire that includes teams across the NFL, NBA, NHL and international football.
Stan Kroenke
[Stan Kroenke](/topic/stan-kroenke) is best known today as the owner of some of the world’s most valuable sports teams and, more recently, as America’s largest private landowner. But long before his rise to billionaire status, Kroenke’s working life began with a broom in hand, cleaning floors at his father’s lumber company in rural Missouri.Kroenke grew up in Mora, Missouri, a small town southeast of Kansas City. According to Forbes, he spent his early years working at his father’s lumber business, first doing basic tasks like sweeping floors before gradually learning how to manage the company’s books. During this period, he also developed a love for basketball, playing on gravel courts and later representing his high school team.
While studying at the University of Missouri, Kroenke worked as a busboy and took his first independent step into business. With a $1,500 loan from his father, he bought a stake in a small clothing store, marking the start of his entrepreneurial journey.Kroenke’s career changed direction after he met Ann Walton, the daughter of Walmart co-founder Bud Walton, during a ski trip in Colorado in the early 1970s. The two married a few years later. While Kroenke built his own ventures, Forbes notes that guidance from Bud Walton and Sam Walton helped shape his understanding of large-scale retail and real estate.In the mid-1970s, Kroenke joined a real estate development firm that built shopping centers, many anchored by Walmart stores. After becoming a partner, a legal dispute in the 1980s pushed him to strike out on his own. He later founded the Kroenke Group and co-founded THF Realty, continuing to develop commercial properties across the U.S. Today, his real estate and storage investments form a major part of his wealth, according to Forbes estimates.Kroenke entered professional sports in the 1990s. His first major success came with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, where he gradually increased his stake before becoming sole owner in 2010. He later expanded into other leagues, acquiring the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and their shared arena in 2000.
Under Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, he now controls what Forbes describes as the world’s largest privately held sports empire. His teams have seen major success, including championships across the NFL, NHL and lacrosse, and the Denver Nuggets’ historic run to the NBA Finals, as reported by Forbes and the Denver Post.Beyond sports, Kroenke has quietly built a vast land portfolio. According to CNBC and The Land Report, he now owns about 2.7 million acres across the U.S., making him the country’s largest private landowner. A major boost came from his purchase of nearly one million acres of ranchland in New Mexico, one of the biggest land deals in more than a decade.His holdings now surpass those of well-known landowners such as John Malone and Ted Turner. As CNBC reports, large ranch acquisitions and long-held family properties coming onto the market have allowed Kroenke to expand rapidly.