The name of Michael Jordan is back in the news thanks to the premiere of 'The Last Dance ', the documentary that can be enjoyed on Netflix and that addresses the player's last season in the Chicago Bulls. In addition to telling how he discovered his partner Dennis Rodman in bed or the doubts that hovered over the team months before conquering his sixth ring, the way in which the image of Jordan was growing in popularity around the world before establishing himself as the richest athlete of all time , in addition to being very close to 1,000th of the wealthiest on the planet.
According to Forbes , MJ's fortune stands at 2.1 billion dollars, more than 1.9 billion euros . And that as a player 'alone' he pocketed 93.8 million in 16 seasons , and too much, if we take into account the salaries of the time and that his annual salary only exceeded 4 'kilos' in two seasons: 96-97 and 97-98, when he broke the revenue record first with 30.1 million and a year later with 33.1.
But the legend of the Bulls knew how to play the same way on the court as outside it, and thanks to his image and the advertising contracts he signed since his arrival in the league, he was able to get a lot of money to invest until he became a billionaire in 2014 Currently it is ranked 1,001 of the richest in the world and is among the 500 with the most money in the United States, thanks mainly to its agreement with Nike.
In his first year in the NBA in 1984, he was looking forward to committing to Adidas , but the German leaders only signed players who were more than two meters tall, and Jordan stayed at 1.98. From Nike they seized the opportunity and formed a business with enormous profitability for both parties and which skyrocketed its market value, although the first figure agreed was 250,000 euros per year . It would not be until many years later when the textile giant created a division, a brand called Jordan Brand, through which Jordan pockets 100 million a year for the rights of use and sale and the firm invoices more than 3,000 million, proving that the Air Jordan logo and this business decision was one of the best deals in sports history.
Judgments for his image, another source of income
Since Michael Jordan best exploits his image, he knows perfectly well what it is worth and is unwilling to allow others to fraudulently profit from it. Thus, his lawyers have obtained in the courts tens of millions of dollars, and the player went on to donate 23 of them to children's NGOs . To get an idea, only in one of these trials did he win $ 9 million in compensation.
The profitable purchase of the Charlotte Hornets
In April 2010, Michael Jordan became the Charlotte Hornets' top shareholder for $ 275 million as the franchise achieved its first playoff qualification, though they would be eliminated in the first round without winning a single game in the series against the Magic. . Since its arrival, the value of the equipment has skyrocketed and is currently above $ 1 billion .
In addition, he is a shareholder of the Miami Marlins of baseball and has the benefits of agreements with brands that have accompanied him since his times as an athlete, such as Gatorade, Hanes or Upper Deck. And last but not least, it has also diversified its money into other sectors, from new technologies to restaurants. He has several restaurants in Chicago and Florida, a Nissan dealership in North Carolina, has invested in eSports, partnered with leading Silicon Valley companies, and is part of a tequila company.
What is the money spent on?
But if Michael Jordan has known how to earn money, he has also known very well how to spend it. First, he has made numerous donations to charities, the last with the $ 4 million he has earned for the aforementioned documentary . And for your enjoyment, it has all the luxury possessions imaginable: a private plane with its logo, initials, rings and bib, a large yacht valued at $ 80 million and several mansions. It has one in Charlotte of 2.3 million and another in Chicago of 5,000 square meters that has spent several years trying to sell and its price has already dropped by 15 million.
His passions include tequila and Cuban cigars , which he became fond of as a player and those who smoke on board his boat, at home or on the golf course. And it is that this sport is another of his great hobbies and another of his small sources of income for the bets he makes on the green. Because of his hobby, he bought his own club in Florida and called it Grove XXIII in honor of the number with which he excelled , but he has made holes with faces like Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, Sergio García or Severiano Ballesteros.