how has the nfl responded?
Brian McCarthy, chief spokesperson for the NFL, told Forbes in an email the league is “aware of the matter which will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy.” The bars conduct that is “illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible, puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others in the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL.” The 49ers told Forbes in a statement that because York’s arrest is “a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time.”
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forbes valuation
York’s mother Denise and her family are worth an estimated $8.5 billion. The York family owns more than 90% of the 49ers, which Forbes ranked as the fifth-most valuable NFL team in 2025.
key background
The York family has owned the 49ers for decades, after Denise York’s father Edward DeBartolo Sr. bought the team for $13 million in 1977. Jed York became the team’s CEO in 2008, and he became the principal owner in 2024 after purchasing enough shares from his mother. The 49ers have made the Super Bowl three times since York took over as CEO, losing all of those appearances. The team’s last Super Bowl bout was a 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. In his tenure as CEO, York oversaw the construction of the $1.3 billion Levi’s Stadium, which broke ground in 2012 and began operating as the team’s home in 2014.
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tangent
Robert Kraft, billionaire owner of the New England Patriots, was arrested in 2019 on prostitution charges, though the charges were later dropped after a court ruled Kraft’s constitutional rights were violated by police installing surveillance cameras at a Florida spa where he received massages. Prosecutors accused Kraft and others of paying for sex at the spa, but a court ruled they could not introduce the surveillance camera footage as evidence. Kraft was also investigated under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but the league did not discipline him.
Read more San Francisco 49ers Owner Jed York Arrested On Disorderly Conduct Charge
further reading
49ers owner Jed York arrested. Revisit his years with the team (USA Today)