Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan became the first athlete with a net worth of $3 billion on Forbes' list of the 400 richest individuals in the USA in 2023. Overall, the athlete's net worth has tripled since 2014. According to Forbes, he increased it to $3 billion due to annual royalty checks from Nike—totaling about $260 million over the past fiscal year—and a deal signed in August 2023 to sell a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, which valued the NBA franchise at $3 billion. Although the Charlotte Hornets (then Bobcats) franchise was valued at $175 million when Jordan bought a 80% share in 2010, its projected value increased quickly. In 2010, Jordan paid $180M to own 97% of the team. After a decade of losing, Jordan sold 20% of the team in 2019 - which valued the franchise at $1.5 billion. MJ joined Mark Cuban in a $44 million funding round for Sportradar back in 2015. At the time, the company had already agreed to partnerships with the NFL and NHL, and its data information loomed especially large in fantasy sports. The investment has seemingly aged better and better over time. Sportradar was valued at close to $3 billion last spring, and the rise in sports betting has only heightened the company’s valuation.