John Fisher Net Worth

What is John Fisher's Net Worth?

John Fisher is an American billionaire businessman who has a net worth of $2.1 billion. John Fisher made his fortune as the heir of his parents, Doris and Donald, founders of the clothing and accessories retailer the Gap. He later became heavily involved in sports ownership, serving as the principal owner of MLB's Athletics, MLS's San Jose Earthquakes, and the PBR's Texas Rattlers.

Directly or indirectly, through various family trusts, the Fisher family owns roughly 43% of the Gap's equity. At the peak of the company's performance, the Fisher family received $100 million a year in dividends alone. The family is one of the 30 largest landowners in the US, owning 440,000 acres in California alone.

Early Life and Education

John Fisher was born on June 1, 1961, in San Francisco, California, to Doris and Donald, who went on to found the clothing and accessories retailer the Gap in 1969. The family is Jewish, and Fisher has two older brothers named Robert and William. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, Fisher went to Princeton University, where he studied history. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in 1983, and subsequently enrolled at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he earned his MBA.

Career Beginnings

After obtaining his MBA from Stanford, Fisher worked for a real estate company that did business with the Gap. When the company proved to be unsuccessful, he became the president of his family's investment management firm Pisces.

John Fisher (via Getty)

Sports Ownership

In 1992, with his father, Fisher was part of an investment group that purchased MLB's San Francisco Giants in order to stop the team from relocating to Tampa Bay, Florida. The group was ultimately successful, and Fisher retained a part-ownership stake in the team until 2005, when he purchased MLB's Oakland Athletics with his business partner Lewis Wolff. The pair had previously established a professional relationship by buying several hotels in San Francisco. In 2016, Fisher acquired Wolff's remaining share of the team and became the principal owner of the Athletics.

Fisher's tenure as owner of the Athletics has been marked by intense backlash, as it is believed he intentionally tanked the team to extinguish fan interest in Oakland so he could more easily enable the franchise's relocation to Las Vegas. In the spring of 2023, it was announced that the Athletics were building a new stadium on the Las Vegas Strip and cutting ties with the City of Oakland. The agreement entailed $380 million in taxpayer money provided by Nevada for the construction of the stadium. This move elicited immediate ire from fans, who went on to protest during a June game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Later, at the end of the A's final game in Oakland at the end of the 2023-24 season, the crowd broke out into a chant of "Fuck John Fisher."

In other sports, Fisher is the principal owner of MLS's San Jose Earthquakes, having acquired the team as a new franchise in 2006 with his business partner Lewis Wolff. The following year, it was announced that a new soccer stadium for the team would be privately built by Fisher and Wolff. However, the plans fell apart in 2009. Elsewhere, Fisher is the owner of the Texas Rattlers, which competes in the international professional bull riding organization the Professional Bull Riders. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, the PBR stands as the largest bull riding league in the world. Fisher has owned the Rattlers since 2022.

Political Activity

A registered Republican, Fisher has contributed to various Republican candidates and causes over the years. After graduating from college, he worked in the mailroom of the Republican National Committee and did fundraising for Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Later, during the 2012 election cycle, Fisher and his family donated around $9 million to a PAC opposing President Barack Obama. Fisher has also made substantial donations to Ohio Representative and coal lobbyist Mike Carey, and in 2023 he donated the maximum legal amount in campaign contributions to Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum.

Personal Life

Fisher is married to Laura Meier, with whom he has four children.

Who's Richer?

John
Fisher

Compare!

Doris
Fisher