Longtime Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has purchased a minority stake in his hometown club, the Cleveland Guardians, per a team announcement. It’s not clear how large a stake he purchased. He’s reportedly earned more than $111MM in career salary with the Chiefs, to say nothing of other revenue streams (e.g. endorsements, podcast).
“I have so much love for this city,” Kelce tells ESPN’s Jeff Passan. “I say it all the time: I’m just a kid from the Heights living the dream. I credit every good thing in my life to Cleveland and being raised here with the values and the people and the work ethic. Cleveland Heights is such a diverse and dynamic place. Every friend, neighbor, teacher and teammate — they all made me the man I am today. It just fueled such a deep appreciation for life and community and service. … There was nothing like Cleveland baseball in the ’90s. That’s just a core memory for me. Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Jim Thome, Sandy Alomar Jr., the list goes on, and I admire how they just continue to pour into this city and this game.”
The Dolan family still holds the majority stake in the team. The late Larry Dolan purchased the club for a reported $323MM back in 2000. Recent estimates have pegged the Guardians’ present-day franchise value at more than five times that sum.
Larry Dolan passed away at 94 years of age in Feb. 2025. His son, Paul, had succeeded him as the team’s official control person back in 2013 and remains the team’s chairman and chief executive officer. However, in 2022, the Dolan family agreed to sell a 25-30% stake in the team to David Blitzer, the managing partner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Blitzer also has minority stakes in the NFL’s Washington Commanders and in Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake. His 2022 deal with the Dolan family also came with the option to purchase a majority stake of the club in 2028.
Kelce, 37 in October, is an 11-time Pro Bowler with three Super Bowl rings. He ranks third all-time among tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards and is fifth all-time in touchdowns at his position. His stake isn’t likely to be a significant one, though it’s always feasible that he seeks to increase his share at some point down the road. Kelce’s teammate and fellow three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes can now formally be on opposite ends of an American League Central rivalry; Mahomes purchased a minority stake in the Royals back in 2020.
