In less than a year, Mark Walter bought the NBA’s most valuable franchise and then flipped it for a handsome profit.

Walter sold his majority shares of the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, according to ESPN which cited anonymous sources, more than $2.5 billion than when he purchased the franchise last October from the Buss family. In 2014, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the LA Clippers for $2 billion. In 10 months, Walter made more than that after making various efforts to expand the Lakers’ front office and business staff.

No wonder Walter told ESPN in a statement that he considered becoming part of the Lakers’ ownership group as “one of the great honors of my life” and “an extraordinary investment.” Walter, who also owns the Dodgers and Sparks as part of Guggenheim Group, has 2.5 billion reasons to sell instead of further cementing his imprint on the NBA’s most iconic franchises. But the pending transaction also raises plenty of questions.

Why Would Mark Walter Sell The Lakers?

Beyond an enticing financial offer, why would Walter part ways with the Lakers after only purchasing it 10 months ago?

Bloomberg reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating whether Walter failed to disclose private credit holdings involving two insurers that he controls, Delaware Life Insurance Co. and Clear Spring Life and Annuity Co. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of President Donald Trump. Is Walter’s sale related to........

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