As if Michael Jordan needed to achieve any more milestones in his storybook life, he’s added yet another one. Forbes has listed His Airness’ net worth at over $3 Billion dollars and says he is the first athlete to ever crack the list of the top 400 people in the nation.
Jordan – perhaps the most recognizable and marketed athlete ever – is widely considered the greatest NBA player of all time among his peers and the media. His iconic image has graced nearly every product imaginable and his portfolio is vast – including being formerly the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets franchise in his home state of North Carolina. (He sold his stakes to
Naturally, he made a ton of money on the basketball court, en route to six NBA Championships and five MVP awards in 15 seasons. His story is legendary, and he’s essentially on any ‘Mt. Rushmore’ of the greatest athletes in any sport… ever.
Of course, the bulk of his wealth was acquired away from the game.
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According to Spotrac, Michael Jordan earned $93.9 million in NBA contracts from a career that spanned from 1984 to 2003. The majority of Jordan’s NBA earnings came during his final two seasons with the Bulls as he earned $30.1 million in the 1996-97 season and $33.1 million during the 1997-98 season.
So, Michael Jordan built a multi-billion dollar image through basketball. All by being one of the greatest marketing success stories of all time to go along with his tremendous ability.
The NBA icon singlehandedly changed sports marketing globally in every realm. The branding of his image and likeness spawned an entire Nike line that has dominated the US athletic market. The imagery and symbolism used to portray ‘Air Jordan’ became a model of success for future Nike stars like Tiger Woods Bryant and Lebron James. It’s not just limited to Phil Knight’s corporation, either. The Jordan model is a blueprint that virtually every single sports manufacturer follows today, and it essentially grew out of that first pair of Air Jordans.
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