York family net worth: How a $13 million bet became the 49ers’ $8.4 billion empire
Forbes ranks San Francisco 49ers owner Denise DeBartolo York and her family at $8.4 Billion, placing them ahead of Donald Trump and Mark Cuban. The York family controls over 90% of the 49ers, now valued above $8 Billion, after decades of growth tied to NFL success and global sports investments, according to Forbes 2025 rankings released in September this year.
Forbes puts the York family at $8.4 Billion. The power behind the San Francisco 49ers just got louder. (Image via Getty)
Denise DeBartolo York and her family landed at No. 163 on the 2025 Forbes 400, with Forbes estimating their net worth at $8.4 billion. That figure comes from Forbes’ latest ranking, as reported Sept.
19, 2025.This is not some mystery-money story. Forbes ties the York family fortune primarily to their ownership of the San Francisco 49ers, where the family holds more than 90% of the franchise.
Denise DeBartolo York’s family net worth hit $8.4B on the 2025 Forbes 400
The Forbes 400 list is basically a “you’re in or you’re out” snapshot of America’s richest. In 2025, Forbes said the 400 wealthiest Americans held $6.6 trillion combined, and you needed at least $3.8 billion to make the cut.
The York family cleared that bar easily. WFMJ’s report notes the family’s wealth has climbed hard over the last decade, tracking Forbes wealth history data: $1.9 billion in 2016, $3.2 billion by 2020, and then the 2025 Forbes 400 estimate at $8.4 billion.They also landed ahead of other famous names on that same 2025 list, including Mark Cuban and Steven Spielberg, per the same report.
The San Francisco 49ers and Leeds United explain the York family’s money trail
Here’s the straight line: Edward DeBartolo Sr. bought the San Francisco 49ers for $13 million in 1977, and the family still controls the franchise today.Denise DeBartolo York took control of the 49ers in 2000. Her oldest son, Jed York, is now the team’s CEO. Forbes also lists the 49ers as the NFL’s sixth-most valuable franchise, and the team finished as the Super Bowl runner-up in 2023.
Then the family pushed further into global soccer. The 49ers’ ownership arm agreed to buy the remaining 56% stake in Leeds United in 2023 after already owning 44%.The WFMJ report said the family paid more than $200 million to acquire that remaining stake.Bottom line: the Yorks aren’t climbing because of a random side hustle. Their net worth rises when their sports assets rise. And the biggest one is still the 49ers.Denise DeBartolo York and her family landed at No. 163 on the latest Forbes 400, with an estimated net worth of $8.4 billion, driven largely by their majority ownership of the San Francisco 49ers, which Forbes ranks as the National Football League’s sixth most valuable franchise. York, who took control of the team in 2000, now sees her son Jed York serving as CEO, while the family has also expanded into global soccer with their takeover of Leeds United in 2023.