Who owns the Detroit Lions? Sheila Ford Hamp is the Lions’ principal owner and chair. She took over from her mother, Martha Firestone Ford, on June 23, 2020, and the Ford family has controlled the team since William Clay Ford Sr. bought it in 1963–64. That is more than 60 years of family control.
The owner is only part of the picture, though. The Lions changed their top business executive in 2026, and the people who run the football side are different from both. Here is who owns the team, who runs it day to day and how the Fords ended up with it.
Last updated: Oct. 21, 2026. Sources: Detroit Lions front office roster and team releases, NFL.com, Forbes (via Bleacher Report).
Jump to: Who owns the Lions · Who is Sheila Ford Hamp? · Who runs the team · How the Fords got the Lions · Every owner since 1930 · Team value · FAQ
Who owns the Detroit Lions today?
The Detroit Lions are owned by the Ford family, with Sheila Ford Hamp as principal owner and chair. She is the daughter of William Clay Ford Sr. and Martha Firestone Ford.
Hamp is not the only family member listed as an owner. The team’s official front office roster lists five:
- Sheila Ford Hamp – Principal Owner & Chair
- Martha Ford Morse – Owner/Vice Chair
- William Clay Ford Jr. (Bill Ford) – Owner/Vice Chair
- Elizabeth Ford Kontulis – Owner/Vice Chair
- Martha Firestone Ford – Owner/Chair Emeritus
Hamp, Morse, Ford Jr. and Kontulis are the four children of William Clay Ford Sr. and Martha Firestone Ford. The team does not publish how ownership shares are split among family members, so any percentage you see online is a guess.
One point causes a lot of confusion: Ford Motor Company does not own the Lions. The team belongs to the Ford family. Bill Ford Jr. is also executive chair of Ford Motor Company, but the automaker and the football team are separate businesses. The company’s name is on Ford Field because of a naming-rights deal, not ownership.
Who is Sheila Ford Hamp?
According to her official Lions bio, Sheila Ford Hamp is the second of four children of William Clay Ford Sr. and Martha Firestone Ford, and she started going to Lions games at Briggs (later Tiger) Stadium at age 5. A few highlights:
- Education: part of the first class of women to graduate from Yale University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and played varsity tennis; master’s degree in teaching and early childhood education from Boston University.
- Lions roles: one of the team’s vice chairs from 2014 to 2019, then principal owner and chair from June 23, 2020. She also chairs the board of the Detroit Lions Foundation.
- League work: member of the NFL’s Fan Engagement and Major Events Committee and the NFL Foundation Committee.
- Community: lives in Ann Arbor, where she coached youth soccer for more than 10 years, and is a trustee emeritus of The Henry Ford.
Who runs the Lions day to day?
Ownership sets direction and approves big decisions. The president and CEO runs the business side, and the general manager and head coach run football. As of October 2026, these are the key names:
| Role | Person | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Owner & Chair | Sheila Ford Hamp | June 2020 |
| President and CEO | Rich Haddad | Named Aug. 5, 2026; start announced for early September |
| Outgoing President and CEO | Rod Wood | Midway through the 2015 season |
| Executive Vice President & General Manager | Brad Holmes | Jan. 14, 2021 |
| Head Coach | Dan Campbell | Jan. 20, 2021 |
| Senior Football Advisor to Ownership | Chris Spielman | Not listed |
The 2026 president change
Rod Wood announced on Feb. 18, 2026, that he would retire after 11 seasons running the team’s business operations, according to NFL.com. He stayed on while a search committee that included Hamp, Bill Ford and Spielman looked for his successor.
On Aug. 5, 2026, the Lions named Richard Haddad as president and CEO. Haddad spent 14 years with Pistons Sports & Entertainment and was the Pistons’ chief operating officer, where he worked on the team’s move from Auburn Hills to downtown Detroit. The team said he would join in early September, with Wood serving as a resource during the transition. Hamp praised his experience and steady leadership in the announcement.
For fans, the practical point is simple. Haddad leads the business side of the organization. Football decisions still run through Holmes and Campbell, and ultimately ownership.
How the Ford family got the Lions
William Clay Ford Sr., a grandson of Henry Ford, was involved with the team before he owned it. He became team president in 1961, when the Lions were owned by a group of Detroit investors.
On Nov. 22, 1963, Ford agreed to buy a controlling interest in the Lions for $6 million. The sale was completed on Jan. 10, 1964. He owned the team for half a century, until his death on March 9, 2014, at age 88.
Control then passed to his widow, Martha Firestone Ford, who led the team from 2014 to 2020. In June 2020, she stepped down at age 94 and handed the role of principal owner and chair to her daughter Sheila. Martha remains on the roster as chair emeritus.
Holmes and Campbell were hired in January 2021, about seven months into Sheila Ford Hamp’s tenure. NFL.com reports that both received contract extensions in 2024.
Every Detroit Lions owner since 1930
The franchise started in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Spartans and joined the NFL in 1930. It moved to Detroit in 1934. Here is the full ownership line:
| Years | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1930–1934 | Harry N. Snyder | Portsmouth Spartans era |
| 1934–1940 | George A. Richards | WJR radio owner; bought the Spartans for about $8,000 and moved them to Detroit |
| 1940–1948 | Fred L. Mandel Jr. | Bought the team from Richards |
| 1948–1964 | Detroit Football Company | Investor syndicate first led by D. Lyle Fife |
| 1964–2014 | William Clay Ford Sr. | Bought controlling interest for $6 million |
| 2014–2020 | Martha Firestone Ford | Took over after her husband’s death |
| 2020–present | Sheila Ford Hamp | Principal owner and chair |
Detroit fans who follow baseball will notice a parallel: the Tigers are also a family-held team. Our guide to who owns the Detroit Tigers explains the Ilitch family’s ownership.
How much are the Detroit Lions worth?
Forbes valued the Lions at about $8.04 billion in its 2026 NFL list, published in September 2026, as reported by Bleacher Report. That still placed Detroit among the five least valuable teams in a league where the Dallas Cowboys topped the list at a record $17 billion.
The jump is large. The previous Forbes list in 2025 put the Lions at $5.4 billion, 30th of 32 teams. Valuations are estimates, not sale prices. The Fords have not announced any plan to sell, so the figure mostly shows how fast NFL franchise values are rising.
How to check Lions ownership news yourself
- Start with the team’s roster. The Lions front office roster is the fastest way to confirm current owner and executive titles.
- Watch for official releases. Ownership or president changes are announced on detroitlions.com and NFL.com first; anything else is a report until the team confirms it.
- Check the latest Forbes list. Forbes publishes its NFL team values each year (the 2026 list came out in September), so use the newest edition when you compare values.
Detroit Lions ownership FAQ
Does Ford Motor Company own the Detroit Lions?
No. The Lions are owned by members of the Ford family, led by principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp. Bill Ford Jr. is both a Lions vice chair and executive chair of Ford Motor Company, but the company itself does not own the team.
Who is the president of the Detroit Lions?
Rich Haddad is the Lions’ president and CEO. He was named on Aug. 5, 2026, to replace Rod Wood, who announced his retirement in February 2026. Haddad previously served as chief operating officer of the Detroit Pistons.
Is Sheila Ford Hamp related to Henry Ford?
Yes. Her father, William Clay Ford Sr., was a grandson of Henry Ford, which makes Sheila Ford Hamp a great-granddaughter of the Ford Motor Company founder.
Are the Detroit Lions for sale?
There is no public sign of a sale. The team has not announced any plan to sell, and ownership has stayed within the Ford family since 1964. The 2026 front-office change replaced the team president, not the owners.
Who makes the Lions’ football decisions?
General manager Brad Holmes builds the roster and head coach Dan Campbell runs the team on the field. Both were hired in January 2021 and report up to ownership.
The bottom line
The Detroit Lions belong to the Ford family, with Sheila Ford Hamp as principal owner and chair since 2020. Rich Haddad now runs the business side, while Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell run football. If you want to watch the team those owners have built, the Lions host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX. See where to watch Lions vs. Packers, the full 2026 Lions schedule and how to watch the Lions all season.
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