After winning Super Bowl IV in 1969, the Kansas City Chiefs went a whole 50 years before playing in another one. Now they’re on the cusp of history in their quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl title. The Chiefs are as formidable an NFL team in the modern age; they’ve enjoyed a good run under the Chiefs’ president and controlling owner, Clark Hunt.
We’ll share everything we know about Clark Hunt, Kansas City’s ownership structure, and the Chiefs organization’s valuation.
Meet Clark Hunt and the Hunt Family
The Chiefs have remained under the Hunt family’s ownership since its inception in 1959. Lamar Hunt’s son, Clark, joined the Chiefs in 2005 as their chairman.
When Lamar passed away in 2006, his second wife, Norma, and Clark’s siblings, Sharron, Lamar Jr., and Daniel, all inherited ownership stakes in the team. Clark was appointed the “de facto owner,” which allowed him to represent the team at all NFL owners’ meetings.
Lamar also founded three Major League Soccer franchises, the Kansas City Wizards (now known as Sporting Kansas City), the Columbus Crew, and FC Dallas. Clark remains an owner of FC Dallas, while the other two franchises have since been sold off. Clark was also one of the key figures in helping to form the MLS and how it has grown to what it is today.
Clark has also been the Chiefs’ CEO since 2010, following the resignation of long-time executive Carl Peterson.
How Much Are the Kansas City Chiefs Worth?
The Chiefs were named the 23rd-richest franchise in 2022, coming in with a valuation of $3.7 billion. That represented an increase of 26% compared to the year prior.
Flash forward to 2024, and the Chiefs have climbed to 18th in NFL team valuations ($5.43 billion) — a 20% increase from last year. Who knew that winning Super Bowls was good for business?
History of Arrowhead Stadium
Their home stadium, known as GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, is one of the most recognizable NFL stadiums today. Opened in 1972, Arrowhead is the third-oldest NFL stadium.
The only stadiums that are older and still operating are Lambeau Stadium (1957) and Soldier Field (1924). It’s known not only for its longevity but also the sheer power of volume it can generate with fans in the stands.
Even with it being one of the oldest stadiums, it has the fifth-highest capacity for seating at 76,416. It also holds the distinction of being the largest sports facility by capacity in the state of Missouri. On September 29, 2014, the stadium achieved the Guinness World Record for the “loudest crowd roar.”
History of the Kansas City Chiefs
Lamar Hunt founded the franchise in 1959. The Chiefs were originally known as the Dallas Texans, first playing in the American Football League (AFL). Hunt not only founded those Texans but the entire AFL league after failing to acquire a team in the National Football League (NFL) as he originally intended.
Determined to run a successful franchise in his hometown, Hunt had the Texans play in Dallas despite facing direct competition from the Cowboys, who were in the NFL.
The Texans became the Chiefs after relocating from Dallas to Kansas City in 1963. From its inception in 1960 until its merger with the NFL in 1970, the team won four AFL Championships and one Super Bowl.
Hunt was a key figure in negotiating the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game” agreement, and it would later be renamed the “Super Bowl” as we know it now, after the popular children’s toy, the Super Ball. The AFL would merge with the NFL following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory in 1969.
Recently, the Chiefs have found significantly more success. After their Super Bowl victory in 2020, they returned a second year in a row in 2021. Unfortunately, they could not get the win against a Tom Brady-led Buccaneers team, but they flexed their AFC dominance nonetheless.
KEEP READING: Kansas City Chiefs Playoff History
But then, they returned as the AFC representatives for the 2022-23 NFL season. This time, they got the win 38-35 over the Philadelphia Eagles for their third Super Bowl win in franchise history.
The 2023-2024 Super Bowl featured the Chiefs again, this time in Las Vegas to play the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs trailed most of the game, but they scrapped, took the game to overtime, and eventually won the game on a Mecole Hardman touchdown that trumped the 49ers’ OT field goal. Mahomes notched his second consecutive Super Bowl MVP honor, and the Chiefs will go for a first-ever three-peat in 2024.
