How did the Chicago Bulls great become the richest athlete on the planet?

ichael Jordan is the top contender for the NBA’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT). His achievements on the court and his legendary skills with the basketball are well known. But there’s another, slightly lesser-known list where Jordan also leads by a wide margin: the richest basketball players in history.

In a recent issue, Hola magazine compiled a list of the wealthiest current and former NBA players, and none of them come close to Jordan’s level of wealth. In sixth place is Shaquille O’Neal, whose $500 million net worth stems from his work as a television analyst and his investments in the entertainment industry.

O’Neal shares the spot with Vinnie Johnson, who earned the nickname “The Microwave” as the sixth man for the Detroit Pistons during the Isiah Thomas era. While Johnson made just $6 million from his NBA contracts, he built a massive $500 million fortune after retiring by founding The Piston Group, an auto parts supplier with contracts major brands like Ford and General Motors.

In fourth place is Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, with an estimated $600 million net worth. After retiring from basketball, the former Milwaukee Bucks forward invested in Wendy’s franchises and established Bridgeman Foods, which became a supplier for Coca-Cola. Bridgeman also entered the publishing business by acquiring Ebony and Jet magazines.

Top of the list

Despite these impressive figures, the top three on the list stand far above the rest. LeBron James and Magic Johnson share second place with net worths of approximately $1.2 billion, according to Forbes.

James is the only active player on the list. He earns an average annual salary of $40 million with the Los Angeles Lakers and has endorsements with major brands like Nike, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s. His biggest income streams come from investments in companies like Beats, Blaze Pizza, Fenway Sports Group, and Liverpool FC.

Magic, on the other hand, invested much of his earnings into building Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company involved in the hospitality industry and a lucrative partnership with Starbucks. He later acquired a stake in EquiTrust Life Insurance, which propelled his wealth to its current levels.

Jordan: In a league of his own

Michael Jordan entered the NBA as the third overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 draft and retired in 2003 after two final seasons with the Washington Wizards. During his career, “Air Jordan” amassed significant wealth from his contracts and endorsements.

However, the majority of the former Bulls guard’s wealth came from his post-retirement business ventures. A large portion of his net worth comes from his multi-million dollar deal with Nike for the “Air Jordan” sneaker line. But his biggest financial windfall came from selling his stake in the Charlotte Hornets in 2023.

This business move not only solidified Jordan as the NBA’s first billionaire, but it also placed him in a completely different financial stratosphere from the league’s other wealthiest players.

“His Airness” now has a net worth of approximately $3.2 billion, making him not only the richest NBA player but also the wealthiest athlete in the world.