Buss Sports Capital Takes Stake in San Diego Padres Amid Family Feud
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Brothers Joey and Jesse Buss enter MLB ownership through a minority stake in the Padres, adding a complex layer to the California sports landscape.
The San Diego Padres officially changed principal ownership on Aug. 17, with Kwanza Jones and José Feliciano taking over the club. As part of the transition, Buss Sports Capital—founded by brothers Joey and Jesse Buss—has acquired a stake of approximately 5% in the franchise, according to reporting from The Athletic and ESPN.
The move introduces a complex dynamic to the California sports market. Joey and Jesse Buss previously served in basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, a team their family owned starting in 1979, before being fired in 2025 by their half-sister, Jeanie Buss. The brothers now join the ownership group of the Padres, a division rival of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are owned by Mark Walter, who recently sold the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger after a 14-month tenure that ended amid a federal investigation into his finances, as reported by CBS Sports.
Further complicating the ownership narrative is an ongoing legal battle within the Buss family. According to Sports Illustrated, Jeanie Buss has petitioned a Los Angeles Superior Court to block her five siblings from selling the family's remaining 17.8% stake in the Lakers. Jeanie Buss alleges she was neither informed nor consulted regarding the sale and claims her siblings secretly attempted to remove her as team governor. While the five siblings intend to proceed with the sale, a court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5.
Joey and Jesse Buss stated they will serve on the Padres' advisory board, applying their experience in roster construction, player development, and payroll management to support the vision of Jones and Feliciano, according to ESPN and CBS Sports.