Dean Spanos has been the Los Angeles Chargers’ president and CEO since 1994. In 2015, he passed control of the Chargers to his sons, AG and John, although he stayed on as chairman to oversee the team’s move from San Diego to Los Angeles. Let’s examine Spanos’ net worth and how it stacks up to other NFL owners.
Dean Spanos’ Net Worth
Dean is the son of Alex Spanos, who bought a majority stake in the Chargers in 1984. Dean took over the team’s daily operations in 1994.
The Spanos family’s estimated net worth is $2.4 billion. They are the 22nd-richest ownership group in the NFL.
For reference, the wealthiest group is Denver Broncos owners Rob Walton, Greg Penner, and Carrie Walton Penner, who are worth a combined $77.4 billion.
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Meanwhile, Dean’s personal net worth is approximately $1 billion.
Dean was born on May 26, 1950, in Stockton, Calif. He attended Lincoln High School, where he played football and golf and was named to the Lincoln High Hall of Fame. He attended the University of the Pacific in 1972, studying business administration.
Spanos’ father founded AG Spanos Companies, a prominent apartment developer. This is how the family accumulated its wealth, and it is still one of America’s largest family-owned businesses.
Since moving to Los Angeles, the Chargers have won 63 games and made the playoffs twice. Most recently, they fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs.
The Spanos family launched the Chargers Champions in 1999 to support local schools. Their total support is $1.6 million. Dean and the Chargers have also partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
In recent years, there has been some behind-the-scenes drama in the Chargers’ ownership group. Various family members filed lawsuits. Spanos was first sued by his nephews and then his sister because they wanted him to sell the team. Spanos’ nephews, Dimitri and Lex Economou, sued him on the grounds of improperly redirecting money away from the trust.
The situation was eventually resolved, and his sister, Dea, decided to sell her 24% share. Tom Gores, who also owns the Detroit Pistons in the NBA, purchased her share and an additional 3% for $750 million.