After many ups and downs in marriage, Donald Sterling and Rochelle Stein started their family in 1955.
After buying the Los Angeles Clippers professional franchise from the NBA, American businessman Sterling rose to prominence. He led the basketball team from 1981 until 2014, when he was fined $2.5 million and banned from the NBA.
In addition to his track and field successes, he is also a well-known American attorney who has frequently drawn media attention for his involvement in a number of issues. He started investing in real estate in addition to his career, which was one of his main businesses. Nonetheless, his ownership of NBA teams is where he gained the majority of his notoriety as a public figure.
However, he received a ton of criticism in addition to fame from NBA ownership. Sporting News, The New York Times and Forbes dubbed him the worst sports owner at the time, while ESPN The Magazine considered the Clippers the worst franchise. He was sued several times after his time in the NBA and his career was always in danger.
Besides the ups and downs of his professional career, he is best known for his relationship with Rochelle Stein, his wife, from whom he has long been estranged.
Donald Sterling with his wife Rochelle Stein
| Date of Birth | April 26, 1934 (88 years old) |
| Hometown | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Spouse | Rochelle Stein (d. 1955) |
| Children | Scott Sterling, Joanna Sterling, Chris Sterling |
| Parents | Mickey Tokowitz, Susan Tokowitz |
Who is Donald Sterling’s wife, Rochelle Stein?
Donald Sterling and Rochelle Stein married in 1955, and despite all the ups and downs, they stayed together. Her boyfriend was only 21 when they got married.
On September 2, 1934, Rochelle was born into a Jewish family. She was raised by her parents in Wilmington, California, where she was born and raised. However, over time, she attended Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles where she graduated.
She then meets her future spouse and becomes curious about his real estate heritage. She started it by buying apartments in Beverly Hills. Until their split in 2012, the couple were married and had three children together.
Before that, Donald was dating a woman named Alexandra Castro. He is “happily married, has a family and has no intention of engaging in any activity incompatible with his domestic relationship”, according to the contract they signed.
Despite everything, Rochelle and Donald were in a relationship until a disagreement caused them to separate. While his wife stayed at the beach house in Malibu, Calif., Sterling moved to her opulent Beverly Hills estate.
However, after nearly divorcing, they settled their disagreement in 2016. Bobby Samini, Donald’s attorney at the time, said the “Sterlings have resolved their issues despite all the trying events of the previous two years”.
Additionally, Rochelle managed the Los Angeles Clippers property and sold it on his behalf when the doctor deemed him incompetent to oversee the financial affairs of the Sterling Family Trust. Stein is well known for being one of the most influential women in real estate, in addition to her fame and marriage.
She is a multi-millionaire who has managed many assets and owns lavish residences. Stein and Sterling have stayed together through all the uncertainties and have been married for nearly seven decades. Years of marital conflict were finally resolved after many struggles.
Rochelle is considered a brave woman who has remained loyal to Sterling through hardship. She also raised her children and became one of the most powerful women in the real estate industry.
Donald Sterling net worth in 2022
Donald Sterling is a billionaire with an estimated net worth of around $4 billion. He is a lawyer and entrepreneur best known for owning the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team for over 33 years. The estimated net worth of his wife, Rochelle, is $1 billion.
Sterling is also well known in the real estate industry as a powerful investor who owns thousands of residential properties. He made most of his income by investing in structures in the city of Los Angeles. Additionally, he currently lives a luxurious lifestyle at his opulent Beverly Hills home.
He made headlines in 2015 when he asked his ex-partner, V. Stiviano, to repay more than $2.6 million in gifts and cash to the Sterling Family Trust. Homes over $1.8 million, high-end vehicles costing over $800,000 and cash gifts are all included.
Stiviano has given Sterling several gifts throughout their more than two-year relationship, including a $1.8 million duplex in Los Angeles, a Range Rover, a Ferrari and a Bentley.
Donald Sterling Wealth during NBA ownership
In 1981, Donald Sterling paid around $12.5 million to buy the Clippers from the San Diego-based NBA team. He owned the franchise from 1981 to 2014 before being forced to sell it for $2 billion.
Sterling already owned hundreds of apartment buildings that were rising in value by the time he acquired NBA ownership. In 1984, a few years after buying the Clippers, he attempted to move the team from San Diego to Los Angeles despite not receiving NBA approval. He traded the Clippers without considering the circumstances, being fined $25 million.
Donald, however, sued for NBA$100 million rather than pay the fine. After his fine was reduced from $25 million to $6 million, the issue was resolved. Before he stepped down from franchise ownership in 2013, the Clippers were worth $700 million.
While he had owned the team for more than three decades, Sports Illustrated reported in 2000 that he also owned the Beverly Comstock Hotel, the Malibu Yacht Club and other Beverly Hills apartments. He went on to say that when he brought the Clippers, “I intend to stay in San Diego and am dedicated to bringing hometown pride to the Clippers. I will invest whatever it takes to create a winner in order to grow the Clippers through the draft, free agency and trades.
Similar to this, he invested in MGM’s historic former headquarters in Beverly Hills in 1996 and furnished the rooms with French antiques. Although he owns part of the NBA, the majority of his fortune has historically come from his real estate company.
Donald Sterling Wealth after NBA ownership
Donald Sterling has already amassed enormous wealth in 2014 thanks to his success. After making derogatory comments, he was forced off his NBA property that year. He was also fined $2.5 million and banned from league and NBA games.
He was forced to pay actress Robyn Cohen $17.3 million again because the apartment complex he owned where she was staying lacked a sufficient fire detection system. Sterling continued to live a life of luxury despite his declining wealth due to his real estate business.
His projected net worth, which was around $2 billion when he sold the mowers, is expected to increase to $2.2 billion. However, according to Forbes, his current net worth is almost $4.1 billion. He continues to own a significant number of Beverly Hills homes, opulent apartment buildings and expensive cars even after he left the Clippers and received the lawsuit settlement.
He was estimated to be around $3.6 billion in 2020 by Sportscasting, and Forbes placed him 207th on its list of the 400 richest Americans. With his wife and family, he leads an opulent and comfortable billionaire existence.
Although he lost his NBA ownership, he continued to be extremely wealthy and hold significant capital. Whether Donald owned the NBA before or after, one thing is certain: he made a lot of money through real estate projects. He is currently one of the richest men in America and is 88 years old.
Additionally, before investing in the first West Hollywood home, he was a seasoned attorney. He has remained attached to his real estate company until now.
Who are Donald Sterling’s children?
Chris, Scott and Joanna are the names of the three children that Donald Sterling and his wife Rochelle Stein have. With the exception of Scott, who sadly passed away in 2013 from a heroin overdose, the kids are all adults with successful lives.
Hannah, Luke, Ava and Sofia are the names of the four grandchildren that Donald and Rochelle currently have. Joanna Sterling, their only child, is now 51 and happily married to Eric James Miller.
When Sterling left the team, Eric, who was then Director of Basketball Administration, resigned from his position. Before that, he graduated from Cal State Northridge and spent seven years working as a CPA in the San Fernando Valley.
Chris, her other child, likes to lead a quiet and discreet existence away from the spotlight and the general public. Nevertheless, the death of the Sterling family member made 2013 a tragic year for them. Scott died at the age of 32; he breathed his last in Malibu, California.
Donald Sterling
Meet the Donald Sterling family on Instagram
On April 26, 1934, Donald Sterling was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. His parents, Mickey and Susan, who were Jewish immigrants, raised him. He moved with his family to the Boyle Heights neighborhood when he was two years old.
He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles as a child. He served as class president and competed on the school’s gymnastics team in Los Angeles. He eventually graduated from high school in 1952 and enrolled at California State University, Los Angeles. On the other side, his parents encourage him in his desire and allow him to pursue his ambition.
The public can see family photos of the Sterlings, but neither husband nor wife use Instagram or any other social media. Chris Sterling and Joanna Sterling, his children, were not visible on any social media sites.