Mike Brown’s place on Forbes’ latest richest list tells a pretty clear story: the Bengals’ ownership group is sitting on far more money than the old criticism suggests.
Forbes’ new ranking of the 400 richest people in America puts the Brown family at 224th with a net worth of $7.6 billion. That’s a noticeable jump from earlier this year, when Brown was listed 852nd on Forbes’ billionaires list with a net worth of $5 billion, and now sits 529th.
A big part of the Bengals’ rising profile has come from Elizabeth Blackburn, Brown’s granddaughter, who has become a central figure in how the franchise presents itself. As director of strategy and engagement, she has pushed the team to connect with fans around the world while also making the Bengals more appealing to national businesses.
She has also helped turn Paycor Stadium into more than a football venue. This summer, the building drew large crowds for Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show tour, and an R&B concert is set for October.
Blackburn’s most significant move may have been helping launch the Bengals Ring of Honor in 2021, created to recognize the franchise’s legendary players. Brown said he welcomed the idea after Blackburn presented it to him, even though he had originally thought it might be better to wait.
"She's pretty keen on what the public wants," Brown said of Blackburn's influence on him. "I might've had thoughts about why it might wait for later, but we're going forward and the public has reacted very well."
Since the Ring of Honor was introduced, Brown and the Bengals’ net worth has climbed by about $5.325 billion since 2021.
Joe Burrow has also been central to the franchise’s financial rise simply by being the face of the team. He led the Bengals to the Super Bowl early in his career and remains the centerpiece of what the organization is building.
His presence has pushed the team to modernize and spend more aggressively in free agency to keep its championship window open. The front office doubled down on that approach this offseason with the historic trade for All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence after an active free agency period.
Taken together, the moves point to a franchise that is clearly operating with a win-now mindset, and that approach continues to lift revenue across the board.
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