Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter has become the subject of some criticism over recent months, and now his business acumen is under question due to a previously undisclosed medical incident.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Walter suffered a stroke while the Dodgers were in the midst of playing the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series and it’s led to questions over whether he can — or should — continue forward in his businesses.
At the time, only those close to Walter knew he was dealing with a medical emergency: Midway through the World Series, he had suffered a stroke, people familiar with the matter said.
Since then, Walter’s health status has become a matter of concern inside his business empire, with varying opinions on whether lingering effects from the stroke have impacted his fitness to lead his businesses, the people said.
He generally prefers to remain in the background throughout the course of a season but the stroke explains Walter’s absence from Yankee Stadium as the Dodgers celebrated their World Series title after winning Game 5. He also was not part of the team’s World Series parade or celebration at Dodger Stadium, during which team president and CEO Stan Kasten and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman were both on stage for.
Walter’s next time back in the public spotlight was for the Tokyo Series at the start of the 2025 season. He then was on the field during the Dodgers World Series ring ceremony and Walter was with the team for their visit to the White House.
The 66-year-old understandably was more present in the postseason last year when compared to 2024, as he accepted the National League champions trophy on stage and celebrated with the Dodgers when they defeated the Toronto Blue Jays to win the World Series at the Rogers Centre.
On the business front, Walter purchased a majority stake of the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $10 billion in a sale that was finalized last November.
Mark Walter federal investigation
Walter’s successes on the field have not masked him from scrutiny, first for the Guggenheim Partners investment firm owning more than 1 million in shares of GEO Group, a prison company that aided in the deportation of immigrants. Walter’s company was said to have fully divested their shares before the Dodgers completed a $1.1 million donation to local organizations offering support to those impacted by ICE raids.
Now, however, Walter and his holding company, TWG Global, are under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Securities and Exchange Commission over potentially fraudulent loans.
The loans by two Delaware life insurers that are owned by Walter were made to companies connected to him or TWG Global, but not disclosed as the required “related party” transactions. Related party transactions made by insurers are required to be reported in effort to limit conflicts of interest and protect policyholders.
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