John York Net Worth

What is John York's net worth?

Dr. John York is an American pathologist and businessman who has a net worth of $7 billion. Jed York is the co-chairman of the San Francisco 49ers. Though he tends to keep a lower public profile than his wife, Denise DeBartolo York, or son, Jed York, John has played a significant behind-the-scenes role in maintaining the family's ownership of one of the NFL's most valuable franchises.

Born in Ohio, York earned both his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. He specialized in pathology and taught at the University of Missouri, where he also ran a successful diagnostic lab. Before joining the business of football, York made his fortune in the medical field by building and eventually selling DeYor Laboratories, a pathology services company. The sale of that business in the early 1990s provided him with the capital to invest more deeply in the DeBartolo family's ventures, particularly the 49ers.

York married Denise DeBartolo, the daughter of shopping mall magnate Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. and sister of former 49ers owner Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. When Eddie Jr. became embroiled in a federal corruption case in the late 1990s and agreed to step away from the team, Denise assumed control of the franchise in 2000. John York stepped in as co-chairman, helping oversee the business side of operations.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Initially, John and Denise took a more hands-on approach to managing the team. From 2000 to the mid-2000s, John York was frequently involved in football-related decisions, though critics often questioned the couple's lack of football experience. Under their early stewardship, the team struggled with coaching instability and a downturn in performance, prompting the family to take a different approach.

By 2008, their son Jed York had been elevated into a leadership role, eventually becoming team president and later CEO. John and Denise stepped back from day-to-day operations, though they retained significant influence as majority owners and board members. This generational transition allowed the team to modernize its football operations and later reach the Super Bowl in both the 2012 and 2019 seasons under Jed's leadership.

Despite no longer running the team directly, John York remains a key figure in the franchise's ownership structure. Along with Denise, he has helped shepherd the 49ers through major transitions, including the move from Candlestick Park to Levi's Stadium and a 2025 minority stake sale that valued the franchise at $8.5 billion.

In addition to football, John York has continued to support various philanthropic causes, particularly those focused on education, medical research, and community development in the Bay Area and his native Ohio.

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