Sterling is the managing partner of a law firm and Chairman of Sterling Properties. Doctor of Jurisprudence, Southwestern Law School; Bachelor of Arts / Science, California State Los Angeles. Donald Sterling has purchased thousands of apartments primarily in Los Angeles over the past several decades. He also owns properties in Orange County, San Diego and Las Vegas and advertises heavily in the L.A. Times. Sterling bought the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team in 1981 for $12 million; Forbes now values the team at $430 million. He worked his way through law school selling furniture and changed his last name from Tokowitz to Sterling because, as a co-worker once told Los Angeles Magazine, it sounded like success.