Miami Dolphins hit $12.5B valuation as Xiaomi Vice Chairman Lin Bin enters NFL ownership circle

The Miami Dolphins just reset the NFL’s price chart. On March 3, 2026, reports confirmed that owner Stephen M. Ross agreed to sell a one-per-cent stake in the franchise’s parent company at a staggering $12.5 billion valuation. The buyer is Chinese billionaire and Xiaomi Vice Chairman Lin Bin, marking a landmark entry into the league’s ownership ranks.

Record-setting minority sale places Miami Dolphins at the top of NFL valuations

According to ProFootballTalk on March 3, Ross is selling one per cent of the Dolphins at a $12.5 billion valuation. The report noted on X that the deal “will potentially drive up the final price tag for the Seahawks.” The timing matters. The Seattle Seahawks remain in exploratory sale talks under the estate of the late Paul Allen, who passed away in 2018.


Lin Bin will pay $125 million for the one-per-cent slice. The stake is held by the Dolphins’ parent company, which also controls Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Grand Prix, and part of the Miami Open tennis tournament. That broader asset base strengthens the valuation argument.

This deal eclipses the previous minority benchmark set in October 2025, when Julia Koch and the Koch family purchased a 10 per cent stake in the New York Giants at a $10.3 billion valuation. Miami now holds the record for the highest implied franchise value tied to a minority transaction.

Ross, 85, previously sold 13 per cent of the team for $8.1 billion. In 2024, he moved 10 per cent to Ares Management and three per cent to Joe Tsai and Oliver Weisberg. The jump from $8.1 billion to $12.5 billion in under two years shows how sharply franchise values have climbed.


The backdrop is the NFL’s shift in private equity policy. In August 2024, owners voted 31-1 to allow approved firms to buy up to 10 per cent stakes in teams. Only the Cincinnati Bengals opposed the move. NFL EVP of Finance Joe Siclare said during the 2024 special meeting that the league took a “very deliberate” approach to protect its ownership model.


Lin Bin, Vice Chairman of Xiaomi, brings global capital into the room. Forbes lists him among the world’s wealthiest, with a net worth above $10 billion. His entry signals a growing international appetite for NFL equity. For the Miami Dolphins, this is more than a small stake sale. It is a statement valuation. And the ripple effect could reshape every pending franchise negotiation across the league.







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