2022 BRONCOS SPECIAL SECTION | Broncos ownership: Meet the star-studded group leading franchise into 2022 season and beyond
The next era of Denver Broncos football has arrived with a new ownership group leading the franchise.
A diverse six-member powerhouse is tasked with steering the team back toward Super Bowl contention, filling the giant shoes left by the late Pat Bowlen. No small task for a Broncos team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015.
Get to know the Walton-Penner ownership group and what makes it, perhaps, the most star-studded front office in professional sports.
Rob Walton, principal owner
Age — 77
Education — Columbia Law School; University of Arkansas
Job history — 1992-2015: Walmart chairman of the board of directors; 1969-1991: Walmart general counsel, corporate secretary, vice chairman and senior vice chairman.
Net worth — $57.2B (per Forbes)
Random fact — He owns one of the rarest and expensive cars in the world: a 1962 Ferrari 250.
Quotable — “We think diverse organizations are more successful organizations.”
Bottom line — Walton, born into one of the most successful families on earth, is by far the richest NFL team owner. His wealth will ultimately shape the franchise’s big-picture direction.
Greg Penner, CEO and co-owner
Age — 52
Education —Georgetown University; Stanford Graduate School of Business
Job history — 2015-Present: Walmart chairman of the board of directors; former financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and general partner at Peninsula Capital.
Net worth — $1B (per media reports)
Random fact — His parents, Clifford and Joyce, are Christian sex therapists.
Quotable — “Our Broncos fans have high expectations. We know that and we embrace it.”
Bottom line — Penner will handle the day-to-day responsibilities of running the team as CEO. He’s an experienced businessman and financial guru taking his first plunge into sports team ownership.
Carrie Walton-Penner, co-owner
Age — 52
Education — Georgetown University; Stanford Graduate School of Education
Job history — Serves on Walton Family Foundation K-12 Education Program Committee and boards of The Aspen Institute and KIPP Foundation; Stanford Board of Trustees member.
Net worth — $5B (per media reports)
Random fact — She is Rob Walton’s daughter and self-described as a “K-12 education advocate.”
Quotable — “We’ll draw on the extraordinary depth of our partners to help the Broncos succeed on the field, in the NFL and across our community.”
Bottom line — Walton-Penner’s expertise as a non-profit advisor will be essential in the Broncos’ mission to remain among the more charitable organizations in professional sports.
Mellody Hobson, co-owner
Age — 53
Education — Princeton University
Job history — Chair of board of directors at Starbucks; President and CEO of Ariel Investments.
Net worth — $120M (per media reports)
Random fact — She is married to Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas and was formerly chair of the board at DreamWorks Animation.
Quotable — “I want to acknowledge the bond with the players who, like me, have had to overcome a lot in their lives.”
Bottom line — Hobson brings more than just needed diversity to the ownership group. She is a proven business leader across several industries.
Condoleezza Rice, co-owner

Age — 67
Education — University of Denver; Notre Dame
Job history — 2005-2009: U.S. Secretary of State under George W. Bush; former National Security Advisor and Stanford Provost.
Individual wealth — $12M (per media reports)
Random fact — One of the first two female members admitted to Augusta National Golf Club in 2012 after the Masters site had excluded women as members for 80 years.
Quotable — “My dad was a football coach when I was born. I was supposed to be his All-American linebacker.”
Bottom line — Rice’s DU roots, passion for sports and political acumen combine for an excellent addition to the ownership group.
Sir Lewis Hamilton, co-owner

Age — 37
Education — Cambridge Arts and Sciences
Job history — Formula One driver with a joint-record seven World Drivers’ Championship titles.
Individual wealth — $285M (per media reports)
Random fact — Knighted by the Prince of Wales last year, Hamilton, an avid snowboarder, has a home near Beaver Creek.
Quotable — “Honored to work with a world-class team and serve as an example of the value of diverse leadership across all sports.”
Bottom line — Hamilton is arguably the greatest athlete in his sport’s history. The Broncos need his winning mentality to trickle down to coaches and players.





