From Basketball to Businessman: The Life of Michael Jordan

One of the highest paid basketball players to walk the home basketball court of the NBA and the most legendary superstars in the history of the game can now add ‘businessman’ to his list of accomplishments. Michael Jordan, age 53, played in the NBA for 15 seasons and is claimed to be the greatest basketball player of all time, but his success didn’t stop there. You may be asking, “Where is Michael Jordan today?”

A Businessman

Since Jordan’s final retirement in 2003, he has become the owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan acquired a majority interest in the team back in 2010. From player to businessman, Jordan has continued to dominate the world of basketball. He increased his ownership to 90 percent in 2013 and in the year to follow, values shot up tremendously to $500 million. Michael Jordan was the highest paid NBA player twice in his career, but in the world of business he has already earned $1.2 billion. He also owns seven restaurants and a car dealership.

A Billionaire

From a home basketball court to the NBA and to the business world, Michael Jordan has made it into the billionaire ranks. While most of this success has come from his Charlotte Hornet’s ownership, it has also come from Nike. Nike is Jordan’s biggest backer, generating $2 billion in revenue every year from the Jordan Brand. In fact, Nike commands 90 percent of the U.S. basketball shoe market, consisting of over half of the Jordan Brand. He also has longtime endorsements with Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck.

A Legend

So, where is Michael Jordan today? He’s out there dominating the world of business. But while he remains successful in his present life, he will never be forgotten for his past life in the NBA. He led the Chicago Bulls to six national championships, won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award five times and dominated the world of basketball throughout the 80’s. He is an inspiration to kids practicing on a home basketball court — and is and always will be a basketball legend first.

Alyssa Koenig is an athletics writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Sport Court. Follow on Twitter.