Jeanie Buss Accused of Self-Interest as Family Fights to Sell $2.2B Lakers Stake

A major fight within the Buss family is growing over the future of the Los Angeles Lakers. Some family members say Jeanie Buss does not have the legal power to stop them from selling their minority stakes in the team.

They claim her effort to block a possible sale is driven by personal interests, not the Lakers' legacy. With $2.2 billion at stake, the dispute could reshape who controls the franchise and deepen divisions within the family.

Billion-dollar stake sale tests Jeanie Buss's control of Lakers

Jeanie Buss's siblings are challenging her legal effort to prevent them from selling their ownership interests in the Lakers. The dispute centers on whether the family trust gives Jeanie authority to block a transaction involving minority shares. The legal challenge does not mean a sale has been completed, and the $2.2 billion figure describes the possible value connected to the proposed deal.

"Jeanie Buss's family members say she has no right to stop them from selling their ownership of the Lakers, which could make them $2.2B through the sale," the report stated . Those statements are the siblings' position in the dispute, not a final court finding.

The conflict dates back to Dr. Jerry Buss's 1979 purchase of the Lakers and the family trust created after his death in 2013. Jeanie became the franchise's controlling owner and governor, and her siblings retained interests in the family structure. Earlier disagreements involving Jim Buss and Johnny Buss established a history of internal power struggles. The case also combines that history with a possible ownership transaction worth billions.

Root of family resistance over potential Lakers sale

The Lakers' ownership structure was built to keep control within the Buss family after Jerry Buss died. Jeanie represents the franchise, but relatives say their trust interests carry separate economic rights. Any sale, therefore, raises questions about trust, language, governance, and the limits of Jeanie's role.

At the center is the potential $2.2 billion return for the siblings. They argue Jeanie's petition is "driven by her own personal desire to preserve" her leadership roles with the Lakers, according to the ownership report . The claim remains disputed , and the court must determine how the trust rules apply to a possible sale. The legal outcome will ultimately define the franchise's governance moving forward.

A sale to outside investors could alter the voting balance and affect board decisions, financing, and the relationship between Jeanie's role and shareholders' rights. The court's reading of trust documents may shape the Lakers' ownership chapter.