Greg Johnson has been the San Francisco Giants‘ control person since November 2019, but the Johnson family’s connection to the club goes back to 1993, when a group of roughly 35 local investors bought it for $100 million. The twist: Greg didn’t get the job by climbing a ladder — he stepped in after a crisis, when Larry Baer was suspended following a public altercation. Today he shares power with his father, Charles B. Johnson, who at 93 years old remains the largest individual shareholder with about 26% of a franchise Forbes values at $4.05 billion — 40.5 times what the group paid in 1993.
Ownership at a Glance
- Control person: Gregory Eugene «Greg» Johnson
- Ownership entity: San Francisco Baseball Associates LLC
- In control since: 1993
- Purchase price: $100 million
- Current valuation: $4.05 billion
- Owner’s estimated net worth: $6.8 billion
- Value increase: 40.5x the original price (nominal, not inflation-adjusted)
Who Is Greg Johnson?
Born around 1961 or 1962, Greg Johnson is the son of Charles B. Johnson and the grandson of Rupert H. Johnson Sr., who founded Franklin Resources in 1947. He studied accounting and business administration at Washington and Lee University, then built a career at the family firm — serving as CEO of Franklin Templeton from 2004 to 2021 and currently serving as executive chairman.
The family’s wealth comes from asset management. Charles took the reins of Franklin Resources in 1957 at age 24 and grew it from $2.5 million to over $800 billion in assets under management over 56 years. Greg’s sister Jennifer has been CEO of Franklin Resources since 2020. The family is based in Palm Beach.
MLB officially designated Greg as control person on November 21, 2019.
How They Got the Team
The Giants almost became the Tampa Bay Giants. In 1992, then-owner Bob Lurie had already agreed to sell the club to a Florida group led by Vince Naimoli. National League owners vetoed the relocation and pushed for a local sale instead. That’s how a group led by Peter Magowan, with Charles B. Johnson and Larry Baer, bought the Giants for $100 million in 1993.
| Year | Buyer | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Bob Lurie (with Bud Herseth) | — |
| 1992 | Tampa-St. Pete group led by Vince Naimoli (failed attempt) | — |
| 1993 | Local group led by Peter Magowan, Charles B. Johnson, Larry Baer | $100M |
| 2019 | Greg Johnson (new control person, same ownership group) | — |
| 2025 | Sixth Street (minority stake, ~10%) | — |
What Else They Own
- Oracle Park: Opened in 2000 for $357 million — the first privately financed MLB ballpark since Dodger Stadium in 1962.
- NBC Sports Bay Area (30%): The Giants have held a stake in the regional sports network since December 10, 2007. Comcast/NBCUniversal owns the remaining 60–70%.
- Mission Rock: A 28-acre mixed-use development adjacent to the ballpark with an estimated total cost of $1.5 billion.
In March 2025, the Giants sold roughly 10% to private equity firm Sixth Street — the first major capital infusion in three decades. The ownership group now includes two institutional investors: Sixth Street and Arctos Sports Partners. Buster Posey, the franchise catcher, joined as a partner in 2022 and is now the club’s president of baseball operations.
Where to Watch
Giants games air on NBC Sports Bay Area, the channel the club has partly owned since 2007. In January 2025, Xfinity moved the channel from its «Popular» to its «Ultimate» package, making it harder to access for local fans. Since March 2025, local Giants games are also available on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service — a first for the franchise. The Giants are one of the few MLB clubs that will still have a healthy traditional regional sports network in 2026, rather than falling into the league’s local media package.
Things Worth Knowing
- San Francisco nearly lost its team: in 1992, Bob Lurie had already shaken hands with a Florida group before NL owners stepped in and forced a local sale for $100 million.
- Charles B. Johnson is 93 and still the largest individual shareholder — holding roughly 26% of a franchise Forbes values at $4.05 billion.
- His political donations have been a recurring controversy in one of America’s most progressive cities: he donated more than $900,000 to Republican campaigns between 2000 and 2015 and funded a super PAC that produced a racially charged ad, which he later called «unacceptable» — before donating to another far-right PAC.
- Greg Johnson got the control-person role because of a crisis: Larry Baer was suspended by MLB in 2019 after a physical altercation with his wife, caught on video in a San Francisco public plaza.
- The March 2025 Sixth Street deal was the first significant outside capital in 30 years. Having two private equity firms in the ownership group is now the new normal in MLB — the league opened the door to institutional investors in 2019.
- Buster Posey went from franchise catcher to team partner (2022) to president of baseball operations — he now has a say over his own legacy.
Where They Rank Among MLB’s 30 Owners
- By franchise value: #5 of 30
- By original purchase price: #21 of 27
- By owner’s personal net worth: #6 of 21
- By years in control: #6 of 30
Purchase prices are nominal and not adjusted for inflation — comparing a decades-old price tag to today’s valuation overstates the real gain.
The Giants sit in the top 5 in MLB franchise value, and the club is worth 40.5 times what it cost in 1993 in nominal terms. The Johnson family is one of the longest-tenured ownership groups in the majors and has invested heavily in local infrastructure — ballpark, media, urban development — rather than chasing a quick flip.
