The blockbuster sale of the Los Angeles Lakers this week keeps alive a sports gold rush among North America¡¯s billionaire elite, with pricey media rights, skyrocketing attendance and insatiable fans helping drive prices sky-high.

Venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger are set to purchase the team, with the deal valued at a record $12.5 billion and pending approval from the NBA¡¯s Board of Governors.

The deal, shocking for both its price tag and timing, comes just 14 months after Mark Walter purchased a majority stake in the ?team in a deal that valued it at a then-record $10 billion.