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Forbes released its list of the richest people in the world on Tuesday, and there are some familiar names for sports fans.
It turns out that being the best basketball player in history with a still-thriving apparel company has its perks, as Michael Jordan checks in at 1,033rd with a net worth of $3.2 billion. Golfing legend Tiger Woods is listed at 2,287th with a net worth of $1.3 billion, while LeBron James checks in at 2,410th with a net worth of $1.2 billion.
Magic Johnson is also tied for 2,410th with a net worth of $1.2 billion.
Jordan’s accomplishments on the court are legendary and include six championships, six NBA Finals MVPs, five league MVPs and 10 scoring titles, but he wouldn’t be on this list from his basketball salary alone.
He made $93.6 million during his career, per Spotrac, which underscores the fact he played in the NBA before salaries exploded to their current rate. For comparison, James is making $47.6 million in base salary alone in 2023-24, which is second in the league behind Stephen Curry ($51.9 million).
Yet His Airness has made his riches off the court with endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, Hanes and many more companies.
His partnership with Nike for Air Jordan is arguably the most famous one in sports history and continues to pay off with the Jumpman logo on current NBA jerseys and stars such as Jayson Tatum, Luka Dončić, Zion Williamson and Russell Westbrook signed to the brand.
Yet even Jordan is behind other figures from the sports world on the Forbes list.
The majority of those connected to sports are team owners, such as Stanley Kroenke, Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, Arthur Blank and Jerry Reinsdorf, among others. Kroenke, who owns the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids and the United Kingdom’s Arsenal soccer club, is highest on the list.
He is 115th with a net worth of $16.2 billion. Jones, who owns the Dallas Cowboys, is next at 137th with a net worth of $13.8 billion.
Kroenke has also found plenty of success inside the lines with the Nuggets the reigning champions in the NBA and the Rams and Avalanche winning championships in their respective sports within the last five years.
