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Chicago CubsRicketts family · since 2009
Payroll data through2026
Value 2026$5BPayroll rank7 of 30Spending index141.6
Chicago Cubs Ownership
Owner: Ricketts family · since 2009 · NL Central
Budget generosity67above the median
Patience31quick to change
Win-now or build37build
Last five seasons+9.4 a yearloosening
- Ricketts family: over 17 seasons (2010 to 2026) the club paid on average 1.27 times the league median payroll and ranked 9.1 on average. Best payroll rank 3rd (2019, 2020); worst 22nd (2014).
- Last five seasons (2022 to 2026): 1.27 times the median, average rank 9.8.
- The club named 5 new managers per ten seasons (2010 to 2025); the league average over the same seasons was 3.6.
- After a losing season (win percentage under 0.480) the spending index moved -5.1 points on average, across 7 such seasons.
Scores run 0 to 100 and describe what the club did under this owner: budget generosity is payroll relative to the league median (50 is the median, 100 is double); patience is how rarely the club changes managers; win-now or build is whether payroll rose or fell after a losing season. They are our summary of public numbers, not a judgment of a person.
- Owner
- Ricketts family
- Principals
- Tom Ricketts
- Owner since
- 2009
- Reported price
- $845 million
- Forbes value (2026)
- $5B
- Revenue
- $599M
- Operating income
- $58M
- Payroll 2026
- $249.3M, rank 7 of 30
- Seasons over the tax line, 2003 to 2025
- 4
- Tax paid 2022 to 2025
- $0.6 million
| # | Owner or group | Seasons | Type | Reported price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tribune Company | 1982 to 2008 | corporation | $20.5 million | Sold during Tribune's bankruptcy |
| 2 | Ricketts family Tom Ricketts | 2009 to now | family | $845 million | Price listed on a public owners list; a Ricketts biography cites a bid of about $900 million that included Wrigley Field and a TV stake. Chosen as winning bidder January 22, 2009; the sale closed October 27, 2009. |
| List year | Value | Revenue | Operating income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $5B | $599M | $58M |
| 2025 | $4.6B | $584M | $81M |
| 2024 | Data pending | Data pending | Data pending |
| 2023 | $4.1B | $451M | $57M |
| 2022 | $3.8B | $425M | $68M |
| 2021 | $3.4B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2020 | $3.2B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2019 | $3.1B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2018 | $2.9B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2017 | $2.7B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2016 | $2.2B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2015 | $1.8B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2014 | $1.2B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2013 | $1B | Not listed | Not listed |
- 1Tribune Company 1982 to 2008
- 2Ricketts family 2009 to now
| Season | Owner | Payroll | Rank | Index | Payroll share of revenue | Record | Playoffs | Over tax line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | $249.3M | 7 of 30 | 141.6 | 89-73 | Yes | ||
| 2025 | 2 | $212.0M | 10 of 30 | 131.5 | 35.4% | 92-70 | Yes | No |
| 2024 | 2 | $231.7M | 7 of 30 | 144.2 | 39.7% | 83-79 | No | Yes |
| 2023 | 2 | $189.9M | 11 of 30 | 119.1 | 83-79 | No | No | |
| 2022 | 2 | $151.1M | 14 of 30 | 100.6 | 33.5% | 74-88 | No | No |
| 2021 | 2 | $144.0M | 13 of 30 | 107.7 | 33.9% | 71-91 | No | No |
| 2020 | 2 | $86.6M | 3 of 30 | 135.5 | 34-26* | Yes | Yes | |
| 2019 | 2 | $221.6M | 3 of 30 | 157.8 | 84-78 | No | Yes | |
| 2018 | 2 | $194.3M | 4 of 30 | 137.6 | 95-68 | Yes | No | |
| 2017 | 2 | $172.1M | 9 of 30 | 121.5 | 92-70 | Yes | No | |
| 2016 | 2 | $186.8M | 5 of 30 | 138.8 | 103-58 | Yes | Yes | |
| 2015 | 2 | $133.0M | 11 of 30 | 112.5 | 97-65 | Yes | No | |
| 2014 | 2 | $90.4M | 22 of 30 | 81.8 | 73-89 | No | No | |
| 2013 | 2 | $100.1M | 16 of 30 | 100.0 | 66-96 | No | No | |
| 2012 | 2 | $114.9M | 10 of 30 | 117.2 | 61-101 | No | No | |
| 2011 | 2 | $137.7M | 6 of 30 | 145.3 | 71-91 | No | No | |
| 2010 | 2 | $131.1M | 4 of 30 | 159.4 | 75-87 | No | No | |
| 2009 | 2 (sale year) | $134.8M | 3 of 30 | 166.3 | 83-78 | No | No | |
| 2008 | 1 | $118.3M | 8 of 30 | 148.0 | 97-64 | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | 1 | $99.7M | 8 of 30 | 117.8 | 85-77 | Yes | No | |
| 2006 | 1 | $94.4M | 7 of 30 | 131.2 | 66-96 | No | No | |
| 2005 | 1 | $87.0M | 9 of 30 | 131.5 | 79-83 | No | No | |
| 2004 | 1 | $90.6M | 7 of 30 | 145.3 | 89-73 | No | No | |
| 2003 | 1 | $79.9M | 11 of 30 | 115.8 | 88-74 | Yes | No | |
| 2002 | 1 | $75.7M | 12 of 30 | 123.9 | 67-95 | No | ||
| 2001 | 1 | $64.7M | 15 of 30 | 101.1 | 88-74 | No | ||
| 2000 | 1 | $60.5M | 13 of 30 | 107.1 | 65-97 | No | ||
| 1999 | 1 | $62.3M | 10 of 30 | 125.3 | 67-95 | No | ||
| 1998 | 1 | $50.8M | 11 of 30 | 119.7 | 90-73 | Yes | ||
| 1997 | 1 | $42.2M | 14 of 28 | 100.7 | 68-94 | No | ||
| 1996 | 1 | $33.1M | 15 of 28 | 98.2 | 76-86 | No | ||
| 1995 | 1 | $29.5M | 21 of 28 | 85.8 | 73-71 | No | ||
| 1994 | 1 | $36.3M | 12 of 28 | 109.8 | 49-64 | No | ||
| 1993 | 1 | $39.4M | 7 of 28 | 116.3 | 84-78 | No | ||
| 1992 | 1 | $29.8M | 16 of 26 | 97.5 | 78-84 | No | ||
| 1991 | 1 | $23.2M | 13 of 26 | 100.1 | 77-83 | No | ||
| 1990 | 1 | $13.6M | 22 of 26 | 77.4 | 77-85 | No | ||
| 1989 | 1 | $10.7M | 21 of 26 | 73.2 | 93-69 | Yes | ||
| 1988 | 1 | $13.1M | 8 of 26 | 106.4 | 77-85 | No | ||
| 1987 | 1 | $14.3M | 3 of 26 | 126.7 | 76-85 | No | ||
| 1986 | 1 | $17.2M | 2 of 26 | 149.8 | 70-90 | No | ||
| 1985 | 1 | $12.7M | 4 of 26 | 126.3 | 77-84 | No |
Owner numbers match the ownership list. Payroll is nominal dollars. * 2020 was a 60-game season. Payroll share of revenue exists for 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025 only. The tax-line column stops at 2025 because 2026 tax bills are not known until December. How the index is built.
No owner stories are published for this club yet.
More on this club: Chicago Cubs team page and payroll history.