The Bengals are worth 17% more than they did in 2024 but are still the least valuable in the NFL

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cowboys-top-list-of-most-valuable-nfl-franchises-with-valuation-over-12-billion-as-all-teams-see-major-rise/

Owners are doing very well. The next CBA will be interesting.

Just a reminder for soem fans, value is a great thing to get loans if needed. They can't get the value unless they sell stock in the team or sell the team. I think some think they may have billions laying around, just not true. But, they should have a healthy cash on hand because they likey do not have a lot of debt.

(08-14-2025, 09:54 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Owners are doing very well. The next CBA will be interesting.

Just a reminder for soem fans, value is a great thing to get loans if needed. They can't get the value unless they sell stock in the team or sell the team. I think some think they may have billions laying around, just not true. But, they should have a healthy cash on hand because they likey do not have a lot of debt.

The value actually being low for the Bengals is important. Mike Brown doesn't have much longer (Just being realistic) and the tax implications that come with his passing will be massive. I honestly wonder if the Family's move to buy out all of the other partners a while back was so that they could potentially resell those shares down the road to offset the tax burden that will come with his passing.

(08-14-2025, 10:02 AM)Au165 Wrote: The value actually being low for the Bengals is important. Mike Brown doesn't have much longer (Just being realistic) and the tax implications that come with his passing will be massive. I honestly wonder if the Family's move to buy out all of the other partners a while back was so that they could potentially resell those shares down the road to offset the tax burden that will come with his passing.

This is so true and I didn't think about that. The estate tax will be a large percentage because it's well above the rate for the federal government to take the highest percentage.

(08-14-2025, 10:31 AM)Synric Wrote: This is so true and I didn't think about that. The estate tax will be a large percentage because it's well above the rate for the federal government to take the highest percentage.

I would be absolutely shocked beyond belief if MB hasn't already taken steps, over the years, to lighten that burden upon his demise. 

The.NFL requires every owner to have a succession plan on file with them. There is no why in this universe that lawyer Mike Brown’s plan includes selling shares of the team to pay inheritance taxes.
If I were hazarding a guess, I would think the actual ownership of the team is some sort of family trust or that over the years Mike has quietly been transferring shares of the team to Katie, his son Paul, and the granddaughters

(08-14-2025, 10:26 PM)pally Wrote: The.NFL requires every owner to have a succession plan on file with them. There is no why in this universe that lawyer Mike Brown’s plan includes selling shares of the team to pay inheritance taxes.  
If I were hazarding a guess, I would think the actual ownership of the team is some sort of family trust or that over the years Mike has quietly been transferring shares of the team to Katie, his son Paul, and the granddaughters

Yep. That's what i was alluding to. 

OMG they are so poor!

(08-14-2025, 10:26 PM)pally Wrote: The.NFL requires every owner to have a succession plan on file with them. There is no why in this universe that lawyer Mike Brown’s plan includes selling shares of the team to pay inheritance taxes.  
If I were hazarding a guess, I would think the actual ownership of the team is some sort of family trust or that over the years Mike has quietly been transferring shares of the team to Katie, his son Paul, and the granddaughters

Winner!

(08-14-2025, 10:26 PM)pally Wrote: The.NFL requires every owner to have a succession plan on file with them. There is no why in this universe that lawyer Mike Brown’s plan includes selling shares of the team to pay inheritance taxes.  
If I were hazarding a guess, I would think the actual ownership of the team is some sort of family trust or that over the years Mike has quietly been transferring shares of the team to Katie, his son Paul, and the granddaughters

The Rams ownership had to sell to Stan Kroenke after the passing of Georgia Frontiere because the tax burden was insurmountable for her heirs. The kids did everything they possibly could but there was literally no way they could keep the team. Funny enough, they only owned 60% of the team at the time and it was still insurmountable and Kroenke used his first right of refusal to acquire the rest. "Quietly transferring" sounds nice but the family would still be paying taxes on that transfer of ownership, there is no way those folks you mention he may be transferring it to could take on the tax burden of moving the majority of the team into their name. 

If they have been leveraging a trust with a potential life insurance policy one has to wonder if that's where all that cash people keep screaming they need to be spending in FA is going. They aren't cheap and with a payout exposure of nearly 2 Billion in tax liability that you know is coming soon those premiums have to be huge. While I think there is a plan, I think people still continue to under estimate the impact because the valuations have skyrocketed so the plan 5 years ago versus now may have to make up nearly a doubling in value of the team.

Again, we have seen this take down family teams before. I think us just assuming everything will be fine is optimistic but not neccessarily a safe assumption, especially if the values keep skyrocketing. 

(08-14-2025, 11:04 PM)J24 Wrote: OMG they are so poor!

Owning something like the Bengals, worth 5 billion, does not equate to liquid assets. Just like someone owning a mansion but being "house poor" People complain about the Browns, but the simple truth is that while they are rich, they are not even in the same ballpark as a Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, etc.

(08-15-2025, 03:39 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Owning something like the Bengals, worth 5 billion, does not equate to liquid assets. Just like someone owning a mansion but being "house poor" People complain about the Browns, but the simple truth is that while they are rich, they are not even in the same ballpark as a Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, etc.

The excuse making from Mike Brown loyalists is laughable!

(08-15-2025, 02:22 PM)Au165 Wrote: The Rams ownership had to sell to Stan Kroenke after the passing of Georgia Frontiere because the tax burden was insurmountable for her heirs. The kids did everything they possibly could but there was literally no way they could keep the team. Funny enough, they only owned 60% of the team at the time and it was still insurmountable and Kroenke used his first right of refusal to acquire the rest. "Quietly transferring" sounds nice but the family would still be paying taxes on that transfer of ownership, there is no way those folks you mention he may be transferring it to could take on the tax burden of moving the majority of the team into their name. 

If they have been leveraging a trust with a potential life insurance policy one has to wonder if that's where all that cash people keep screaming they need to be spending in FA is going. They aren't cheap and with a payout exposure of nearly 2 Billion in tax liability that you know is coming soon those premiums have to be huge. While I think there is a plan, I think people still continue to under estimate the impact because the valuations have skyrocketed so the plan 5 years ago versus now may have to make up nearly a doubling in value of the team.

Again, we have seen this take down family teams before. I think us just assuming everything will be fine is optimistic but not neccessarily a safe assumption, especially if the values keep skyrocketing. 

I wouldn't use the Rams as an example.  

The comparison for the Bengals' ownership is far closer to that of the Bears and Lions.  Sometimes it is easy to forget that Mike Brown and his daughter Katie are actually very smart people.  This team is structured so the next generation can continue ownership without a devastating impact from onerous estate taxes

(08-15-2025, 03:39 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Owning something like the Bengals, worth 5 billion, does not equate to liquid assets. Just like someone owning a mansion but being "house poor" People complain about the Browns, but the simple truth is that while they are rich, they are not even in the same ballpark as a Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, etc.

"House poor" reminds me of a rich person in our school district, who owns a mansion and has bought, run, and sold several high-end restaurants in the last decade, whose children qualify for the free meal plan in the schools each year because their "yearly income" they report for taxes is below the government poverty level. Rich, massive assets, and get free school meals, SAT waivers, college application waivers. 

(08-15-2025, 05:55 PM)J24 Wrote: The excuse making from Mike Brown loyalists is laughable!

So, you think Mike Brown is worth as much as Jerry Jones or Robert Kraft then????

Mike Brown net worth- 3.9 billion
Robert Kraft net worth- 11.8 billion
Jerry Jones net worth- 16.2 billion.

You denying facts again is what is laughable. 

(08-15-2025, 07:54 PM)Nepa Wrote: "House poor" reminds me of a rich person in our school district, who owns a mansion and has bought, run, and sold several high-end restaurants in the last decade, whose children qualify for the free meal plan in the schools each year because their "yearly income" they report for taxes is below the government poverty level. Rich, massive assets, and get free school meals, SAT waivers, college application waivers. 

There are a whole lot of people in this world that are living in a house of cards, living in expensive homes, driving expensive cars, and wearing expensive clothes and jewelry for appearances sake, that don't have a thousand dollars saved in the bank and have huge credit card bills. 
And owning a house and vehicle (1) are not disqualifiers for govt. assistance. Anytime there is a system, there will be people who exploit it.

My perspective...

Reasonable take: The Brown family isn't as wealthy as most NFL owners.

Unreasonable take: The Brown family isn't as wealthy as most NFL owners and should not be criticized by fans for how they operate the Bengals.

(Yesterday, 10:57 AM)Sled21 Wrote: So, you think Mike Brown is worth as much as Jerry Jones or Robert Kraft then????

Mike Brown net worth- 3.9 billion
Robert Kraft net worth- 11.8 billion
Jerry Jones net worth- 16.2 billion.

You denying facts again is what is laughable. 

No, I don't think he has the same net worth has every owner in the NFL.  

Its a salary cap league and every team gets the same amount of money from national revenue. To act like ownership cant afford to give modern-day NFL contracts is absurd.( in other words guaranteed money in years outside year one of a contract) The ownership lack of commitment to this team is the problem both their bank account.

If they cant afford to do things necessary to win in today's NFL then they should sell the team to somebody that can.

(Yesterday, 11:40 AM)J24 Wrote: No, I don't think he has the same net worth has every owner in the NFL.  

Its a salary cap league and every team gets the same amount of money from national revenue. To act like ownership cant afford to give modern-day NFL contracts is absurd.( in other words guaranteed money in years outside year one of a contract) The ownership lack of commitment to this team is the problem both their bank account.

If they cant afford to do things necessary to win in today's NFL then they should sell the team to somebody that can.

When is the last time we had a losing season? 

(08-14-2025, 09:15 AM)pally Wrote: The Bengals are worth 17% more than they did in 2024 but are still the least valuable in the NFL

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cowboys-top-list-of-most-valuable-nfl-franchises-with-valuation-over-12-billion-as-all-teams-see-major-rise/

Brown owes Burrow and Chase 99% of the 17%

They are a weekly highlight reel and have changed the franchise.