If you walk into a bar in South Philly and ask who owns the 76ers, you'll probably hear a few choice words about Josh Harris before anyone even mentions a business partner. It's kinda funny how sports ownership works. We tend to focus on the face of the franchise—the guy sitting courtside in the expensive half-zip—while ignoring the massive, multi-billion-dollar machine running things behind the curtain.
Honestly, the answer isn't just one person. It's a sprawling entity called Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE).
As of 2026, the Sixers are a crown jewel in a portfolio that includes everything from the Washington Commanders to the New Jersey Devils. But the ownership structure has shifted more than a Joel Embiid Euro-step over the last few years. If you’re still thinking Michael Rubin is calling the shots or that the team is moving to a skyscraper in Center City, you’ve got some catching up to do.
The Power Duo: Josh Harris and David Blitzer
At the top of the food chain, you have Josh Harris and David Blitzer. These two are the "Managing Partners," which is basically corporate-speak for the guys who write the biggest checks and make the final calls.
Josh Harris is the one you see most. He’s a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, and he’s worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 billion. He’s the guy who officially spearheaded the group that bought the team from Comcast-Spectacor back in 2011 for a measly $280 million. Looking back, that was an absolute steal. Today, the franchise is valued at over $4.6 billion.
Then there’s David Blitzer. He’s a heavyweight at Blackstone, and while he’s a bit more low-profile than Harris, he’s just as influential. Together, they formed HBSE in 2017 to consolidate all their toys—the Sixers, the Devils, the Prudential Center, and even a stake in Crystal Palace FC.
The Recent Shakeup: Bob Myers Joins the Party
The newest wrinkle in the ownership room happened just recently. In late 2025, Bob Myers—the architect behind the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty—officially joined HBSE as the President of Sports and a member of the ownership group.
This wasn’t just a "consultant" hire. Myers has equity. He’s there to bring that "championship DNA" people love to talk about, but more importantly, he’s a bridge between the front office and the owners. Having a guy who knows how to manage superstars like Steph Curry is a huge asset when you’re dealing with the complexities of a modern NBA locker room.
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The Faces You Recognize (and the Ones You Don’t)
One of the most common misconceptions is that Michael Rubin still owns a chunk of the team. He doesn't.
Rubin, the Fanatics CEO and a fixture at Sixers games for years, sold his 10% stake in 2022. Why? Basically, his business got too big. Fanatics was moving into sports betting and individual player merchandising, which created massive conflicts of interest with NBA rules. He couldn't be the guy taking bets on the team while also owning them.
When Rubin left, David Adelman stepped in.
Adelman is a Philly real estate mogul (CEO of Campus Apartments) who bought a significant portion of Rubin’s share. He’s been the point man for the team’s arena ambitions, which have been a total rollercoaster. You’ve also got some "celebrity" spice in the mix—Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been minority owners since the 2011 buyout, though they aren't involved in day-to-day operations.
The Full List of Influencers
- Josh Harris: Managing Partner and the ultimate decision-maker.
- David Blitzer: Co-Managing Partner and financial powerhouse.
- David Adelman: Limited Partner and lead developer for the new arena projects.
- Bob Myers: President of Sports and recent ownership addition.
- Joe Gibbs: The NASCAR legend joined as a limited partner in 2023 through a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing.
- Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith: Long-time minority investors.
The Arena Drama: A 180-Degree Turn
You can't talk about who owns the 76ers without talking about where they play. For the last few years, the big story was "76 Place"—the proposed $1.3 billion arena in Center City that would have sat right on top of Market East.
David Adelman and Josh Harris pushed hard for it. They fought through protests in Chinatown and hours of City Council hearings. But in a move that shocked everyone in early 2025, they pulled the plug.
Instead of going solo in Center City, HBSE entered a 50/50 joint venture with Comcast Spectacor (the folks who own the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center). They’re now building a brand-new, world-class arena right in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
This is a massive shift in the power dynamic. For years, the Sixers were just tenants of Comcast. Now, they are partners. This new arena, expected to open by 2030, will be the home for both the Sixers and the Flyers, plus a future Philadelphia WNBA team that Harris and Blitzer are actively pursuing.
Why the Ownership Structure Actually Matters
You might wonder why you should care about a bunch of billionaires in suits. Well, it dictates everything from ticket prices to whether or not the team is willing to pay the luxury tax to keep a championship window open.
Harris and Blitzer have proven they aren't afraid to spend. They’ve consistently paid into the luxury tax to surround Joel Embiid with talent (like the Paul George signing). They also treat the team like a modern tech company. They have an "Innovation Lab" and they’ve invested heavily in sports science and data analytics.
But there’s also the "community steward" aspect. Critics often point out that these guys aren't "from" here in the traditional sense. Harris grew up in the D.C. area, though he went to Wharton. This is why they’ve been so aggressive with local philanthropy—trying to prove they are Philadelphians by choice, even if they're flying in on helicopters.
What Most Fans Miss
The Sixers are no longer just a basketball team. They are a small piece of a $14 billion conglomerate.
When you buy a jersey, that money flows into a system that also supports a hockey team in Newark and a soccer club in London. This "holding company" model is the future of sports. It provides a financial cushion that single-team owners just don't have. If the NBA has a down year, maybe the NHL or the NFL (via the Commanders) has a great one.
It keeps the franchise stable. We are a long way from the days of Harold Katz or the early Pat Croce era where the team was the primary focus.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Investors
If you're following the trajectory of the 76ers ownership, here are the real-world takeaways you need to know:
- Watch the WNBA Expansion: HBSE is 100% committed to bringing a WNBA team to Philly by 2030. This will be the next major "acquisition" to watch.
- The South Philly Build: Keep an eye on the legislative updates for the new South Philly arena site. Since it's a joint venture with Comcast, the political hurdles will be lower than the Center City plan, but construction timelines in this city are always "optimistic."
- Bob Myers' Influence: Don't be surprised if the Sixers' front office starts looking more like the Warriors. Myers is there to stabilize a franchise that has had a lot of turnover in the executive ranks over the last decade.
- Valuation Growth: If you ever have the chance to buy "fan equity" or fractional shares in sports-adjacent ventures, the Sixers' jump from $280 million to nearly $5 billion in 15 years shows exactly why private equity is obsessed with the NBA.
The era of the "local car dealer" owning a team is over. The 76ers are owned by a global sports empire, led by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, and they are currently building a legacy that will define South Philadelphia for the next fifty years.