Ryan Smith

Forbes lists Smith as 48 and estimates his net worth at $3.3 billion as of October 16, 2026. That is Forbes' estimate, not an audited figure, and it does not show how much is available as cash. Forbes

His BYU Marriott School biography says he earned a bachelor's degree in management from BYU, worked in brand management for Ford Motor Company, and is a cofounder and board member of the 5 For the Fight Foundation, which raises money for cancer research. BYU Marriott biography Ashley Smith, his wife, is named with him as a majority owner of the Jazz. NBA approval

Qualtrics

BYU Magazine's 2013 account describes Qualtrics as a family project. It involved his father, Scott Smith, a marketing-research professor; Ryan; Stuart Orgill; and later Ryan's brother, Jared. Scott's cancer diagnosis brought Ryan home from a Hewlett-Packard internship, and the first idea was research software that people without special training could use. The company was founded in 2002 and ran from the family basement for five years. BYU Magazine

In Sequoia's retrospective, investor Bryan Schreier recalls the company was already profitable, with about $30 million in revenue and doubling each year, when he first met the founders. That is a participant's account. Sequoia

The $8 billion and $12.5 billion figures are values of the whole company in those transactions. They are not what Smith personally received, and they should not be added together. Silver Lake · Forbes

The 2023 deal's announced financing included $1.75 billion of equity from CPP Investments and $1 billion of debt. The closing announcement listed $500 million from Accel and a combined $500 million from BDT & MSD Partners and DFO Management, and identified Smith as founder and executive chairman and Zig Serafin as CEO. Silver Lake · Qualtrics

Businesses and holdings

Sports Business Journal reported in April 2025 that Smith described teams as places where new technology could be tested, that HXCO was to operate independently of Accel, Qualtrics and SEG, and that it aimed for about two dozen portfolio companies at launch. Sports Business Journal

The Jazz and the Mammoth

The NBA approved the sale of the Jazz on December 18, 2020. The announcement named Ryan and Ashley Smith as majority owners, Mike Cannon-Brookes and Ryan Sweeney as minority owners, and said the Miller family kept a minority stake at that time. The sale included the arena, the Salt Lake City Stars and specified Salt Lake Bees management operations. The league said Smith would have final authority over business and basketball decisions. The NBA did not disclose terms. NBA approval · Jazz page

Sportico and Forbes report the deal at $1.66 billion. That is a reported deal value, not the amount Smith paid in cash. Sportico · Forbes

The NHL Board of Governors approved a new Utah franchise on April 18, 2024. The Arizona roster, reserve list, draft picks and hockey operations were to move to Utah at closing, and the Arizona franchise was made inactive with a conditional right to return. NHL · Mammoth page

In February 2026 the NBA fined the Jazz organization $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league. The league said the team removed two of its top players, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., before the fourth quarters of games on February 7 and 9 while they were able to continue and the outcomes were in doubt. The finding is about the organization; it does not say who directed the decisions. NBA

Downtown Salt Lake City

On October 1, 2024, the Salt Lake City Council approved a sports, entertainment, culture and convention district around the Delta Center and a citywide sales-tax increase. The city said the benefits would include housing, Japantown, art, workforce development and public gathering space, with a public-benefits account funded by ticket fees. These are the city's descriptions and projections at approval. Salt Lake City

In April 2025 the City Council described a separate public infrastructure district to finance an estimated $1.8 billion in downtown venue upgrades. The council said state law gave it a limited, expedited role that effectively predetermined the outcome. City Council statement

These figures describe different things: tax projections, funding allocations, a financing plan and a private intention to invest. They are not one sum paid to Smith, and the $3 billion is a stated plan, not money already spent. Salt Lake City · Deseret News

Plans shown on October 14, 2026 include a hotel, housing, shops, offices and a 6,000-seat Live Nation music venue next to a rebuilt convention center. KSL reports Salt Lake County plans a taller Salt Palace with construction beginning in 2027, and that most of Abravanel Hall will be preserved. KSL The Deseret News reported a proposed east-facing arena entrance and a central pedestrian connection, with completion sought before the 2034 Winter Games, and that two Japantown religious institutions would stay where they are. These are announced plans, not finished projects. Deseret News · Our downtown arena coverage

Sandy

SEG announced on August 1, 2024 that it had acquired The Shops at South Town and surrounding property, 111 acres in all, including the mall, its parking and some nearby retail, restaurant and hotel buildings. The announcement said a team practice facility with at least two NHL-size ice sheets was scheduled for completion in 2025 and would be available for community use outside team needs. SEG announcement · Sandy page

In May 2026, SEG and Intermountain Health announced a sports performance center of nearly 60,000 square feet beside the Mammoth practice facility and a future Jazz practice facility, with a 2028 opening target. Intermountain became the teams' healthcare partner on July 1, 2026, and Select Health their exclusive health insurance partner. The announcement said the buildings described would use about 10 percent of the property. SEG and Intermountain

Political giving

FOX13 reported in October 2020 that an LLC operated by Smith donated $50,000 to Spencer Cox's campaign for governor that year. We have confirmed the report, not the underlying filing. FOX13

We have not compiled a complete record of his political giving. That would require state and federal filings for him and for each entity he controls.

Philanthropy

In November 2022 the Ryan and Ashley Smith Foundation announced a $20 million gift to Primary Children's Hospital for pediatric cancer research and related support, including an endowed research chair, clinical trials, staff, patient support and family centers in Salt Lake City and Lehi. That is the announced commitment, not an accounting of payments. Business Wire

The Jazz scholarship program, which gave a four-year scholarship for every Jazz win in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, says 114 students have been awarded scholarships at six Utah universities. Counters elsewhere on the same page show different numbers. Utah Jazz

Utah News Dispatch reported in September 2025 that the Smith foundation was among nine founding contributors tied to $20 million in donations or pledges to Podium34, the fundraising effort for the 2034 Winter Games. The total combines gifts and pledges. Utah News Dispatch

CNBC's event biography says 5 For The Fight reached a $50 million fundraising goal in September 2023 after years as the Jazz jersey-patch cause. That is the campaign's total, not Smith's own giving. CNBC

Not yet verified

SEG's ownership structure and finances; Smith's current stake in Qualtrics; the South Town purchase price and parcel records; bonds issued and money spent for the downtown district; HXCO's actual fundraising; foundation payment records; and a full campaign-finance history. We will update this page as records are checked.