Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has built an enduring legacy within the game, lifting his third Super Bowl trophy in just five short years and is already considered one of the greatest players to ever grace the NFL… but his lesser-known business ventures could reveal Mahomes’ plans for when he eventually hangs up his boots.
What a start to the year it’s been for Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes; the star quarterback delivered an MVP-worthy performance in Vegas to lift his third Super Bowl in just four appearances, and at just 28 years old, is already entering the GOAT debate.
But whilst we’re all familiar with Mahomes’ many superhuman talents on the football field, his many impressive business ventures are going under the radar… but with five sports franchises under the young football star’s watchful eye, Mahomes’ stacked business portfolio could well be more impressive than his ongoing football career.
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Fresh off the back of winning his first-ever Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, Mahomes announced that he had taken a minority ownership stake in the Kansas City Royals in the MLB.
Aged just 24 at the time, Mahomes had just signed the richest football contract in North American history and clearly had some extra cash to burn, although his investment and percentage of ownership were not disclosed by the Kansas City-based side. Unsurprisingly, Mahomes was something of a sporting prodigy during his college years, and, alongside his natural prowess on the football field, the Texan athlete was playing baseball until his sophomore year.
“I’m honoured to become a part owner of the Kansas City Royals,” Mahomes said at the time. “I love this city and the people of this great town. This opportunity allows me to deepen my roots in this community, which is something I’m excited to do.”
After completing the acquisition of the minority stake, Mahomes became the youngest sports owner in history, igniting a passion for business outside of his playing career and laying the foundation for a legacy that will secure the football star’s future for years to come; but this was just the beginning.
The Chiefs star then continued to seek out new ventures within his home state of Texas, exploring other sporting franchises to bring into his growing sports ownership portfolio, and ultimately, give back to the community that gave him so much support.
In 2021, Mahomes joined the ownership group of the Major League Soccer side, Sporting Kansas City, although his ownership percentage and initial investment were also not disclosed.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join Sporting Kansas City’s ownership team and strengthen my connection to the fans and the city I love,” Mahomes said in a statement. “Sporting is a community-oriented club and I am excited to continue supporting the growth of soccer in Kansas City.”
Mahomes was now the proud owner of two Kansas City-based sports franchises.
Towards the tail end of 2022, Mahomes joined notable athletes such as tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios as part of an ownership group looking to invest in a Major League Pickleball side in Miami. It was reported that Mahomes’ initial investment was between $1 million USD (~$1.53 million AUD) to $3 million USD (~$4.6 million AUD).
Pickleball was seeing exponential growth in the U.S. and, at the time, NBA stars Lebron James, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green and NFL Hall of Famers Drew Brees and Tom Brady had already made significant investments in the emerging league in 2022.
Just a few weeks later in January 2023, it was confirmed that Mahomes was also a part-owner of the NWSL side, Kansas City Current, joining his wife Brittany Mahomes as a member of the club’s ownership group. This was now the third Kansas City-based sports team that Mahomes took an ownership stake in and the fourth sports franchise based in the U.S.
“We are so thrilled to make this a family affair,” Brittany Mahomes said in a press release. “(Patrick) has been a huge supporter behind the scenes. His passion for the Current is undeniable, and I am glad that he will be with us as we continue on our journey to become the best in the NWSL.”
Just a month later, Mahomes would lead the KC Chiefs to their second Super Bowl victory in just four short years, earning the coveted MVP award for the second time in his career… talk about busy.
Then Patrick Mahomes made one of his biggest moves to date, investing in his first Formula 1 team with a team of the biggest sports stars in the world.
Over the last five or so years, Formula 1 has enjoyed a resurgence across the globe, thanks, in part, to the resounding success of Netflix’s behind-the-scenes docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
From the crazy prices of American Formula 1 tickets to a projected monopoly on live sports events, we’ve spoken at length on DMARGE about the unprecedented impact that the Netflix series has had on the booming popularity in the U.S; it was clear that Mahomes was keen to get in on the action.
“I think everybody can see the appeal,” Mahomes said after the acquisition. “I’ve been able to get to a couple races now, seeing the environment, and then obviously watching Drive to Survive on Netflix you see how competitive it is.”
“Any time you get an opportunity to get in on that, I mean I’m as competitive as anyone can get, so hopefully it can open up to some great opportunities and we are able to go to some of those races and have a little stake in the game.”
Mahomes was part of a small ownership group consisting of the biggest names on the planet: pro golfer Rory McIlroy, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Liverpool and England star Trent Alexander-Arnold. Together, the group joined actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who had already purchased a 24% stake in Alpine.
Now with five prominent sports franchises under his belt, you’d think that Mahomes could well be satisfied with his full plater of business ventures…
“Not until I own an NFL team,” the Chiefs star said. “If I can get there, then I might settle down.”
Current NFL rules prohibit active players from investing in one of the league’s teams. This rule helps prevent potential conflicts of interest, such as a player having financial ties to multiple teams or being influenced by ownership interests outside of their own team. But, of course, retired pros don’t have the same problem.
“Eventually, when I’m done playing,” revealed Mahomes “I think Tom (Brady) is trying to do it right now, but that’s definitely where you want to get to. I love this sport and want to give back in any way possible. When I’m done playing, obviously I’ll be a Chiefs fan, but at the same time I want to have that competitive edge I’ve always had my entire life.”
Watch this space.