You’ve probably heard it a million times during a Sunday Night Football broadcast. The announcer leans into the mic and mentions how the Green Bay Packers are the only "fan-owned" team in professional sports. It sounds like a lovely, Midwestern fairy tale.
But who is the green bay packers owner, really?
If you’re looking for a single billionaire sitting in a luxury box—someone like Jerry Jones or Robert Kraft—you won't find one in Green Bay. There is no "owner" in the traditional sense. No yacht. No private equity mogul calling the shots from a Mediterranean villa. Instead, the team is owned by Green Bay Packers, Inc., a one-of-a-kind nonprofit corporation.
The 538,967 People in Charge
Honestly, the math is staggering. As of 2026, there are approximately 538,967 shareholders who hold more than 5.2 million shares of the team.
Basically, if you walk into a bar in Oshkosh or a coffee shop in De Pere, there’s a statistical certainty that at least one person in the room is a technical "owner" of the team. But before you think these folks are getting rich off those expensive stadium brats, think again.
Packers stock is, for lack of a better word, "worthless" in a financial sense.
- It pays zero dividends.
- It cannot be traded on an exchange.
- It doesn't appreciate in value.
- You can't even sell it back to the team for a profit.
The team's own offering documents are brutally honest about this. They basically tell you: "Don't buy this if you want to make money." It’s a $300 piece of paper that gives you the right to call yourself an owner and an invite to a summer meeting at Lambeau Field. That’s it.
Who Actually Runs the Show?
If half a million people own the team, you can't exactly have 500,000 people voting on whether to trade a backup quarterback. That would be a nightmare.
The real power resides in a Board of Directors.
This board consists of about 45 members, but the heavy lifting is done by a seven-member Executive Committee. These are the people who handle the big-picture stuff—the money, the facilities, and the long-term vision.
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The New Face of Leadership: Ed Policy
For years, the face of this "ownership" was Mark Murphy. However, the Packers recently went through a massive transition. In July 2025, Ed Policy officially took over as the Chairman, President, and CEO.
Policy isn't just a random suit. He’s the son of Carmen Policy (the former 49ers and Browns exec), and he’s been with the Packers since 2012. He was the guy behind the "Titletown" development—that massive 45-acre district outside the stadium that has turned Green Bay into a year-round destination.
When people ask who is the green bay packers owner in terms of who represents them at NFL owner meetings, the answer is Ed Policy. He is the one who votes on league rules and interacts with the other 31 billionaire owners.
Why This Structure Still Exists
You might wonder why other teams don't do this.
The truth? They aren't allowed to.
The NFL has strict rules now. Current league policy requires a team to have a primary owner who holds at least a 30% stake. The Packers were "grandfathered" in. Because they’ve been a nonprofit since 1923, the league lets them keep their quirky setup.
It’s a massive competitive advantage in one specific way: The Packers can’t be moved. In a traditional setup, if a billionaire gets bored or wants a new stadium the city won't pay for, they can pack up the trucks and head to Las Vegas or London. With the Packers, the "owners" are the community. To move the team, you’d essentially have to convince 538,000 fans to vote to take away their own team. Good luck with that.
The "Green Bay Packers Owner" Reality Check
If you're looking to become an owner yourself, you have to wait. You can't just go to a website and buy a share today.
The Packers only hold "Stock Sales" when they need to raise money for big capital projects, like Renovating Lambeau Field. There have only been six sales in the history of the franchise:
- 1923 (The original save-the-team sale)
- 1935
- 1950
- 1997
- 2011
- 2021 (This sale added about 176,000 new owners)
During these sales, the price is usually around $300. The money doesn't go to player salaries—the NFL doesn't allow that because it would be an unfair advantage. Instead, the money goes into the "bricks and mortar" of the stadium.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and "Owners"
If you are one of the half-million people who claim the title of Green Bay Packers owner, or if you're hoping to be one in the future, here is what you need to know:
- Check the Proxy: Every year in June, shareholders get proxy information. This is your one real chance to exercise your power by voting for the Board of Directors. Most people ignore it, but it's how the leadership stays accountable.
- The Annual Meeting: If you hold a share, you can attend the annual meeting at Lambeau Field in July. It’s a chance to hear from Ed Policy and Brian Gutekunst (the GM) directly.
- Transfer Rules: You can't sell your stock, but you can transfer it to immediate family members. If you want to pass your "ownership" down to your kids, make sure you keep the physical certificate and the original documentation in a safe place.
- Watch for Sales: Historically, stock sales happen about once every 10–15 years. Since the last one was in 2021, don't expect another chance to "buy" the team until at least the early 2030s, unless there’s a massive, unforeseen stadium project.
At the end of the day, the owner of the Green Bay Packers is a collective of school teachers, farmers, and die-hard fans who decided that a piece of paper was worth $300 if it meant their team never left home.