Drew Carey has made an unlimited amount of cash throughout his tv profession.
Between 2001 and 2004, he earned $750,000 per episode of “The Drew Carey Present.” That is the identical as incomes round $1 million per episode at the moment. He filmed 79 episodes at that fee, which works out to $59,250,000 (earlier than inflation) for these final three seasons. With inflation, that is the identical as making round $105 million at the moment. And he is nonetheless incomes huge cash! As we speak, Drew makes $12.5 million per yr internet hosting “The Worth Is Proper.” However one of many smartest monetary selections of his profession had nothing to do with tv.
He invested within the Seattle Sounders.
Ira L. Black/Corbis by way of Getty Photos
The $30 Million Wager
In 2007, Main League Soccer awarded an growth franchise to a gaggle led by businessman Adrian Hanauer and Hollywood producer Joe Roth. The possession group additionally included Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Vulcan Sports activities & Leisure and Drew Carey.
The group paid a $30 million growth payment. The Seattle Sounders started enjoying in MLS in 2009.
Carey was not introduced in merely as a celeb face. A loyal soccer fan, he insisted that supporters ought to have a proper voice within the group. His concept turned the Sounders FC Alliance, a membership group whose members can vote on whether or not the membership’s common supervisor ought to retain his job. Carey serves because the Alliance’s chairman.
He additionally pushed for the creation of Sound Wave, the Sounders’ marching band. From the start, Carey helped give the crew an id not like anything in American skilled soccer.
One Of The Most Profitable Golf equipment In MLS
The Sounders rapidly justified their house owners’ funding.
Seattle gained the U.S. Open Cup in every of its first three MLS seasons and captured the trophy once more in 2014. The membership additionally gained the 2014 Supporters’ Defend and MLS Cup championships in 2016 and 2019.
In 2022, Seattle gained the Concacaf Champions League, turning into the primary MLS crew to win the fashionable model of the continental championship. Three years later, the Sounders defeated Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 3-0 within the Leagues Cup last.
That victory gave Seattle its ninth main trophy and made it the primary MLS membership to win all 5 main North American soccer prizes: MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Defend, the U.S. Open Cup, the Concacaf Champions Cup, and Leagues Cup.
Success on the sector created a passionate fan base, sturdy attendance, nationwide visibility, and an more and more beneficial franchise.
The Possession Group Expands
In 2019, founding proprietor Joe Roth bought his curiosity and 11 Seattle-area households joined the possession group. The newcomers included former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, his spouse Ciara, rapper Macklemore, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and several other distinguished expertise and media executives.
On the time, Sounder at Coronary heart reported that Carey had owned 7.5% of the membership earlier than the transaction. Majority proprietor Adrian Hanauer mentioned Carey’s share elevated as a part of the restructuring, though the precise measurement of his new stake was by no means publicly disclosed.
Which means 7.5% is the very best publicly reported place to begin. Carey’s precise share could also be nearer to 10%.
2022 Valuation
Once we first wrote about Carey’s funding in 2022, a latest limited-partner sale of a 3% to five% stake gave us an unusually concrete valuation.
The transaction valued the Seattle Sounders at $680 million
At that valuation, a 7.5% curiosity was price $51 million. A ten% curiosity was price $68 million.
No matter Carey initially invested, it was nearly definitely a small fraction of these figures. Keep in mind, the complete possession group paid solely $30 million for the growth franchise.
And the crew’s worth continued climbing.
The Sounders Are Now Approaching $1 Billion
In February 2025, Sportico estimated the Sounders had been price $825 million.
One yr later, Sportico raised its valuation estimate to $915 million
That made Seattle the sixth-most-valuable crew in MLS.
If the Sounders had been positioned available on the market at the moment, a valuation of at the least $1 billion could be fully believable.
What Is Drew Carey’s Stake Value?
At a $915 million valuation, a 7.5% stake could be price roughly:
$68.6 million
A ten% stake could be price roughly:
$91.5 million
At a $1 billion valuation, a 7.5% stake could be price $75 million, whereas a ten% curiosity could be price $100 million.
MLS Staff Values Are Exploding
The Sounders’ rise is a part of a a lot bigger surge in Main League Soccer valuations.
Sportico estimated the mixed worth of MLS groups at $22.59 billion in 2026, with a median franchise worth of roughly $767 million. 5 golf equipment had been valued at $1 billion or extra.
Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham and powered by Messi’s arrival, ranked first at $1.45 billion.
LAFC, whose possession group has included Will Ferrell and Magic Johnson, ranked second at $1.4 billion.
Austin FC, whose part-owners embrace Matthew McConaughey, was valued at $910 million, simply behind Seattle.
The league’s long-term streaming partnership with Apple has additionally put each MLS match on a worldwide platform with out native blackouts. Starting with the 2026 season, each match was included with a normal Apple TV subscription as a substitute of requiring a separate MLS Season Move.
The Sounders have additionally benefited from being one of many league’s most persistently profitable groups, enjoying in a serious market with a loyal fan base and a historical past of filling Lumen Subject for necessary matches.
