Why Private Equity Cannot Get Enough of Pro Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold for $12.5 billion only a year after changing hands for $10 billion, illustrating why private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds are increasingly drawn to professional sports.Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong explain how scarcity, rising global wealth, and soaring franchise values have transformed sports teams into assets that few individual buyers can afford. They also discuss why watching sports has become more expensive and frustrating as games spread across an growing number of streaming platforms, and Susan Powers joins the show to explain key Social Security decisions for married couples, divorced spouses, and widows. Plus, they cover rising diesel and heating oil prices, Mark Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto, unusual recession indicators, pickleball noise complaints, and the appeal of mystery vacations.