Lakers Family Feud: Jeanie Buss Accuses Siblings of Secret Plot to Force Team Sale

Pulse Sports Team 20:24 - 02 November 2026

Lakers governor files legal petition against family to block the sale of the remaining 17.8% stake held by the Buss Family Trust

The battle for leadership of the Los Angeles Lakers has escalated into a fierce legal dispute. Jeanie Buss, the current controlling owner and governor of the iconic NBA franchise, has accused her five siblings of secretly plotting to force the sale of the family's remaining minority stake in the team, according to court filings reported by ESPN and The Athletic. Jeanie is one of the heirs of Dr. Jerry Buss, who bought the Lakers in 1979 and built them into one of the most successful franchises in sports before his death in 2013.

The family feud revolves around the approximately 17.8% stake that the Buss Family Trust still holds in the Lakers. Siblings Johnny, Jim, Janie, Joey, and Jesse Buss voted unanimously (5-0) to trigger their "go-along rights" and sell the remaining stake as part of a transaction involving Mark Walter's exit to a new investment group. Jeanie Buss opted to abstain from the vote.

In legal filings, attorneys representing the 65-year-old Jeanie Buss claim her siblings carried out secret votes and leaked information to the media before consulting her in her capacity as co-trustee, characterizing the moves as a backroom effort designed to force her hand.

"The secret backroom votes and resolutions shared with ESPN—rather than with their co-trustee and sister—and their subsequent refusal to discuss the matter, were intended to force Jeanie's hand," her legal team wrote, adding that "consent to a hypothetical, partial sale does not constitute the full and final sale required to trigger termination" of the trust.

Her five siblings have strongly rejected the allegations, maintaining they are merely exercising sell-along rights expressly granted by the family trust. In court responses, the siblings argued that Jeanie's opposition places her individual ambition to retain power ahead of the financial interests of the remaining heirs: "The entire petition... rests on the notion that the express rights granted to the beneficiaries... should be subjugated to [Jeanie's] personal desire to remain controlling owner."

The financial stakes involved are monumental. If the entirety of the remaining stake is liquidated, each of the six siblings could collect approximately $371 million (€332 million). The litigation directly threatens Jeanie Buss's tenure at the helm of the organization, as the family's stake dropping below 15% would disqualify her from remaining the Lakers' governor.

To block the sale, Jeanie is relying on a 2017 court order, which she claims obligates co-trustees Joey and Janie to cast their votes in a way that safeguards her controlling role. She has asked the court to remove both as co-trustees and issue sanctions for contempt.

This boardroom clash comes alongside the sale of Mark Walter's majority stake to an investment group led by Josh Kushner. The deal evaluates the Lakers at $12.5 billion (€11.2 billion) and would see Kushner take over as controlling owner, with former Disney CEO Bob Iger joining as a minority co-owner to oversee franchise operations, subject to NBA approval.

While settlement talks continue behind the scenes, the next formal hearing in the dispute is scheduled for December 8 at Los Angeles Superior Court.

Adding to the drama, sports commentator Bill Simmons stated on his podcast last week that Kushner's takeover has yet to close because he has struggled to pull together the required capital, claiming he remains $5 billion to $6 billion short while Bob Iger is only contributing around $63 million.

"The Lakers guy doesn't have the money yet. That $12.5 billion he has to pay Mark Walter? He's still looking for $5 or $6 billion and doesn't have it... And here's the other thing: guess who is barely putting in any money? Bob Iger. He's putting up the bare minimum, which is around $63 million. That's what he's putting in," Simmons said. "So Kushner has to come up with all the rest of the money, but it's a huge sum and the deadline is looming, and I think they're using the Buss family as scapegoats for why the deal is dragging out. But he can't get the rest of the cash. He needs to find investors with four or five billion dollars to jump in and buy whatever percentage of the team."

Those claims were promptly dismissed by sources close to Josh Kushner—founder of venture capital firm Thrive Capital and younger brother of Jared Kushner—who insisted that the transaction remains on schedule and that there are no issues securing the funds required to complete the acquisition.

According to Ben Horney of Front Office Sports, Kushner is offering minority stakes in the Lakers starting at $250 million (€224 million), with substantial market interest.

"The idea that Kushner is having trouble raising money for the deal is completely inaccurate," a source told FOS, backed by reports pointing to an extensive waiting list of investors seeking to buy into the 17-time NBA championship franchise. The outlet noted that the sale could be completed in the coming months, positioning Kushner as controlling owner and Iger as a minority partner overseeing day-to-day operations.

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