There are surprisingly many connections between Montgomery County, Maryland, a thriving and wealthy suburb of Washington, DC, and the ownership of major professional sports teams in the area. In addition to being a hub for ardent supporters, the county is or has been home to the powerful people and families who run a number of cherished teams in various leagues. A closer examination uncovers the strong Montgomery County ties of the majority owners of these six well-known local professional teams, from the hardwood to the diamond, and the gridiron to the ice.
Josh Harris (Commanders): From Chevy Chase, he went to Leland Junior High School after attending Rollingwood ES, which was an MCPS school until 1982. He is the Washington Commanders’ managing partner and the head of the company that purchased the team in 2023 for $6.05 billion. In addition, he owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.
Lerner family (Nationals): Prior to his death, Ted Lerner resided in Chevy Chase. Mark Lerner, his son, used to reside in Potomac. Ted Lerner borrowed $250 from his wife, Annette Lerner, to launch their company, Lerner Enterprises, in Rockville in 1952. The main office of Lerner Enterprises is located in Tower Oaks, Rockville, Maryland. In the Washington metropolitan area, they are a major real estate development and management firm.
Ted Leonsis (Capitals, Mystics, Wizards): Paid $20 million in 2011 to purchase his main home, the historic Marwood mansion in Potomac. FDR and the Kennedys used to spend their summers at this estate in 1926.
The Orioles’ new major owner, David Rubenstein, lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and purchased the franchise for $1.7 billion in 2024. He has resided in Bethesda since 1985 and the Washington, D.C., region since 1975. Rubenstein co-founded and co-chairs the Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm The Carlyle Group.
Bonus: Mitchell Rales and Mark Ein, Commander’s partners, are also connected to MoCo.
Born and reared in Chevy Chase, Mark Ein attended Rollingwood Elementary School alongside Josh Harris, whom he notes they first met in kindergarten. Some of his holding firms, such as Leland Investment Co. (for Leland Junior High) and Rollingwood Real Estate (for Rollingwood Elementary), are named after the schools in Montgomery County which he attended. Ein is a well-known investor and businessman who also owns the Washington Justice esports team and the Mubadala Citi DC Open tennis event.
Mitchell Rales is the owner of Glenstone, a well-known private museum of modern art in Potomac, Maryland, which he and his wife, Emily Wei Rales, established in 2006. In 1986, he bought the Potomac property, which he now uses as his personal home. Rales attended Walt Whitman High School, where he graduated in 1974, and was raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He co-founded Danaher Corporation as well.
