# Mat Ishbia

> Mat Ishbia is chairman, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage and controlling owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. A former Michigan State basketball walk-on and member of its 2000 NCAA championship team, he joined his father’s mortgage business in 2003, became CEO in 2013, and carried a team-centered management philosophy into lending and professional sports. His career includes UWM’s public listing, its focus on independent mortgage brokers, investment in women’s basketball facilities, and efforts to broaden local access to games.

- **Role:** Chairman, President and CEO at United Wholesale Mortgage; Controlling Owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury
- **Organizations:** United Wholesale Mortgage, UWM Holdings Corporation, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Player 15 Group, Michigan State University
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in business, Michigan State University, Eli Broad College of Business, Honorary doctorate of business, Michigan State University
- **Known for:** Member of the 2000 NCAA championship Michigan State basketball team., Led UWM during its rise to the leading US wholesale lender in 2015 and its 2021 public listing., Led the ownership group approved to acquire the Phoenix Suns and Mercury in 2023 at a reported $4 billion valuation.

## Career timeline

- **2000** — Member of Michigan State’s NCAA men’s basketball championship team.
- **2003** — Joined UWM full time as an account executive after graduating from Michigan State.
- **2013** — Became UWM president and CEO in June.
- **2014** — UWM divested retail lending and committed to the wholesale broker channel.
- **2015** — UWM became the leading US wholesale mortgage lender by closed loan volume.
- **2019** — Published Running the Corporate Offense.
- **2021** — UWM went public through a SPAC merger; Ishbia committed $32 million to Michigan State athletics.
- **2022** — UWM became the leading overall US mortgage lender in the second half of the year, according to its 2025 proxy statement citing Inside Mortgage Finance.
- **2023** — NBA approved an Ishbia-led group’s purchase of the Suns and Mercury on February 6.
- **2024** — Player 15 Group opened its downtown Phoenix business campus; the Mercury opened a dedicated practice facility.
- **2025** — Addressed Michigan State’s spring baccalaureate convocation and received an honorary business doctorate.

## Achievements

- Member of the 2000 NCAA championship Michigan State basketball team.
- Led UWM during its rise to the leading US wholesale lender in 2015 and its 2021 public listing.
- Led the ownership group approved to acquire the Phoenix Suns and Mercury in 2023 at a reported $4 billion valuation.
- Committed $32 million to Michigan State athletics in 2021.
- Supported free local over-the-air access to Suns and Mercury games.
- Invested in a dedicated Phoenix Mercury practice facility and downtown team headquarters.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — At an October 20 Axios event, discussed why spending and adding a star did not automatically produce a championship, and emphasized long-term ownership investment.
- **2026-06** — For the quarter ended June 30, UWM reported $39.7 billion in originations and a $451.9 million net loss; its results release also announced a $2.05 billion equity investment from Oaktree and an Ishbia-family investment vehicle.
- **2026-03** — AP reported that Ishbia and two Suns minority owners agreed to confidential binding mediation of their financial dispute.
- **2026-02** — Publicly criticized deliberate losing, or tanking, in the NBA.

## Links

- Website: https://www.uwm.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matishbia
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/Mishbia15
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matishbia/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mat-ishbia
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24