The New York Giants are currently the fourth-most valuable franchise in the NFL, with an estimated valuation of $6.8 billion, according to Forbes.
It helps that the Giants play in the largest media market and have won four Super Bowls in their franchise’s history. They’ve also had the same owner for nearly a century, as the Mara family founded the Giants in 1925.
John Mara is the Giants’ primary owner, CEO, and team president, but how did he end up at the helm? How did his family amass its fortune? Here’s everything you need to know about John, the Mara family, and the Giants’ ownership structure.
How Much Is John Mara Worth?
The Mara family has an estimated net worth of $3 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Individually, John Mara’s net worth is approximately $500 million.
While this makes him incredibly wealthy, Mara’s net worth actually ranks toward the bottom of the league in terms of the richest NFL owners. The Giants have the NFL’s 24th-richest ownership group.
For comparison, the Denver Broncos have the richest owners, as the Walton-Penner ownership group — consisting of Walmart heir Rob Walton, Greg Penner, and Carrie Walton Penner — is worth approximately $77.4 billion.
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While the Mara family is known among sports fans for owning the Giants across three generations, the most famous members of the family are John’s nieces: Kate Mara and Rooney Mara. Both are very successful actors.
Kate starred in “Fantastic Four,” “House of Cards,” “The Martian,” and “Black Mirror,” among others, while Rooney starred in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Social Network,” “Carol” and “Her,” to name a few projects.
How Did Mara Make His Money?
John Mara inherited his fortune, just as he inherited the Giants from his family. The Mara family’s fortune largely came from their ownership of the club.
Tim Mara founded the Giants in 1925, spending just $500 to start the franchise. Tim started a bookmaking business, and he became the legal in-track bookmaker at Belmont Park.
When Tim passed away, the team was handed down to his sons, Jack and Wellington. Wellington passed the team down to his 11 children, including Johhn, who’s the oldest of the bunch.
In 1991, the Mara family was feuding, prompting some relatives to sell their half of the team. Today, the Mara family owns 50% of the Giants, with the Tisch family (led by Steve Tisch) owning the other 50%.
John Mara joined the Giants in 1991, initially serving as the team’s general counsel. He worked his way up to executive vice president and chief operation officer. In 2005, he took over as team president after his father passed away.
The Giants have won two Super Bowls (XLII and XLVI) with Mara at the helm.
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Mara is the chairman of the NFL’s Management Council Executive Committee, and he’s also a member of the NFL’s Competition Committee.
Outside of his football-related responsibilities, Mara also serves on the board of directors for Saint Vincent’s Hospital and the organization Boys Hope Girls Hope.