So, Who Actually Owns the Bulls?
Let’s be honest—when most of us think about who owns the Chicago Bulls, we picture Michael Jordan in that red 45 jersey, floating through the air like a cartoon superhero. But MJ doesn’t own the team, though he might as well own the memory of it in our brains. The real owner is a guy named Jerry Reinsdorf, and he’s been holding the keys since 1985.
Think of Jerry as the quiet grandpa who owns the best house on the block—the one with the fancy basketball court in the backyard. He doesn’t show up to every barbecue, but everyone knows he’s the one paying for the grill. Reinsdorf also owns the Chicago White Sox, so he’s basically the guy who collects sports teams like we collect old concert t-shirts.
You might not see Jerry on TV much, and that’s okay. He’s the opposite of those owners who dance on the sidelines after a big dunk. Jerry is more like the friend who pays for dinner but doesn’t brag about it—he just quietly signs the checks and hopes nobody asks him to shoot free throws.
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The Jerry Reinsdorf Origin Story (But Make It Relatable)
Jerry didn’t inherit the Bulls from a rich uncle. He built his fortune as a real estate lawyer in Chicago, which is a fancy way of saying he spent decades arguing about parking lots and property lines. Imagine your dad’s buddy who always talks about “investment properties” at the neighborhood cookout—that’s Jerry, except his “property” became a six-time NBA champion.
In 1985, Jerry and a group of investors bought the Bulls for about $9.2 million. That sounds like a lot, but today the team is worth roughly $5 billion. So, yeah, Jerry basically bought a lottery ticket that turned into a diamond-studded spaceship. If you ever feel bad about spending $5 on a coffee, remember that Jerry’s $9 million bet made him a billionaire.
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The funny thing is, Jerry almost didn’t keep the team. In the early days, the Bulls were horrible—like, “please don’t watch the fourth quarter” horrible. But then they drafted Michael Jordan in 1984, and everything changed. It’s like buying a beat-up old car and finding a Ferrari engine under the hood.
What Does Ownership Actually Mean?
You might think owning the Bulls means you get to sit at center court with a hot dog and yell at referees. But owning a team is more like being the den mother of a billion-dollar circus. Jerry hires the people who hire the players, approves big trades, and makes sure the popcorn machines keep running at the United Center.
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He also has to deal with stuff like lockouts and salary caps—which are basically the sports-world equivalent of fixing a leaky faucet while your kids argue over the remote. Jerry once famously said, “I’m not a basketball guy, I’m a business guy.” That’s the adult version of saying, “I don’t know how to play the game, but I know how to sell the tickets.”
And here’s the kicker: Jerry is 88 years old as of 2025. That means he’s been running the Bulls longer than most of us have been alive. He’s the grandpa who still drives to the office, but he does it in a luxury SUV with leather seats and a driver named “The Dynasty.”
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The Real Owner Is… You?
Here’s a twist that’ll make you smile: technically, we all own a tiny piece of the Bulls. Not literally, of course—Jerry still owns the biggest slice of the pie. But every time you buy a ticket, a jersey, or a six-dollar soda at the United Center, you’re contributing to that $5 billion value. In a weird way, you’re like a minority shareholder who just happens to also work for your investment by cheering really loud.
The true owner of the Bulls is probably the fans who stuck around during the years after Jordan left. Remember the dark ages—the Eddy Curry era? The time when we watched Ben Gordon score 40 points and still lose by 20? We paid for those memories too, with our heartbreak and our leftover pizza money.
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But let’s not pretend Jerry isn’t the real boss. He’s got the final say on whether the Bulls trade for a superstar or draft a rookie who might become one. It’s like when your friend’s dad owns the car you borrow—you can drive it, but he decides if you can take it to the drive-in movie theater.
The Bottom Line: He’s Just Like Us (But Richer)
Jerry Reinsdorf is a billionaire who wears wire-rimmed glasses and looks like he’d rather be reading a New Yorker than arguing about a pick-and-roll. He’s a guy who stayed in the background while Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen became gods. And honestly? That’s kind of the perfect owner—someone who knows when to let the players shine and when to cash the checks.
So next time you watch the Bulls lose a close game (because it’s 2025 and we’re still rebuilding), just remember: the owner is probably relaxing in his home theater, muttering, “Well, at least the popcorn machine works.” And if you ever see a guy in a polo shirt at the United Center who looks like your retired uncle, that’s Jerry. Don’t ask him for a photo—just nod and say, “Thanks for not selling the team.”