Xiaomi Co-Founder Lin Bin Acquires 1% Stake in Company That Owns Miami NFL Team, Assets Include F1 Grand Prix and Tennis Open
According to Sportico, Xiaomi co-founder Lin Bin has acquired a 1% stake in the holding company of the NFL's Miami Dolphins. The stake corresponds to a company valuation of approximately $12.5 billion — meaning Lin Bin invested $125 million in this transaction.
The deal includes not only the NFL team Miami Dolphins but also the F1 Miami Grand Prix, the Miami Open tennis tournament, and South Florida's largest stadium — Hard Rock Stadium.
Lin Bin was born in Guangzhou in February 1968. He earned his bachelor's degree from Sun Yat-sen University and a master's degree in computer science from Drexel University. He worked as an engineer at Google and Microsoft before co-founding Xiaomi with Lei Jun in 2010. Forbes estimates Lin Bin's personal wealth at $10.5 billion, primarily based on his stake in Xiaomi.
85-year-old billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross is the owner of the Miami Dolphins. He is known for developing prominent real estate projects such as New York's Hudson Yards. In early 2025, Forbes valued the Miami Dolphins at $7.5 billion. Ross has revealed that he previously received a nearly $15 billion offer to buy the team but indicated he has no intention of selling and plans to retain a majority stake within the family.
In recent years, NFL team valuations have continued to soar. In December 2024, Ross sold a total of 13% minority stake in the Dolphins at a valuation of about $8 billion. Of that, 10% was sold to private equity firm Ares Management, and a combined 3% was sold to Brooklyn Nets owner Joseph Tsai and Nets minority owner Oliver Weisberg.
Lin Bin's transaction sets a new valuation record for an NFL team equity sale, surpassing the deal last year in which the New York Giants sold a 10% stake at a valuation of over $10 billion.
The transaction still requires NFL approval, needing at least 24 team owners to consent. The league's next meeting is scheduled for later this month in Phoenix.
| Sources: Sportico; Bloomberg; Forbes