Businessman John J. Sherman owns the Kansas City Royals.
Sherman was born in Japan, where his father was serving in the United States Air Force, but the family eventually moved back stateside. The younger Sherman attended Ottawa University in Kansas, where he played quarterback for the football team (the Ottawa Braves) before beginning his career in business.
Sherman began working in the telecommunications industry before excelling in the energy field. He eventually founded two very successful companies and built his personal wealth through mergers.
Sherman has long had a love of baseball and the Royals, in particular. He and his wife of 40+ years even went to a Royals game on their first date.
So it wasn’t too surprising to those around him that Sherman eventually decided to buy into the game, becoming a minority owner of the Cleveland Indians in 2016.
Then, when long-time Kansas City owner David Glass announced in 2019 that he intended to sell the team, Sherman stepped up and reportedly plunked down more than $1 billion to buy the Royals that November.
Here is the full list of Kansas City Royals owners since the team was founded in 1969:
- John Sherman: 2019-present
- David Glass: 2000-2019
- Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and Affiliated Trusts: 1993-2000
- Ewing Kaufman: 1969-1993
Did you know? Royals legend George Brett has spent 30+ years as the Royals Vice President of Baseball Operations, beginning immediataly after his playing career ended in 1993.
