A few years before he retired from racing, Jimmie Johnson was named by Forbes to be one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. He’d made a staggering sum of $21.8 million through salaries and endorsements in 2017 to achieve this incredible feat. But where and how did all this fame and money begin for the 7X Cup Series champion?
Advertisement
Answering a question from veteran reporter Jeff Gluck in the “12 Questions” series of USAToday, Johnson talked about the very first paycheck that he’d received and how he’d put it to use. Hailing from El Cajon, California, the driver was the son of a heavy equipment manager and school bus driver.
Though his polished tone of voice suggests a wealthy background, that wasn’t the case in reality. Johnson had to find himself work when he was just over 11 years old and one of the very first ones that he did was with a shock company that a friend owned. Detailing his role at the company, he said, “My first paycheck was at a shock company. I was in the back boxing shocks and getting them ready to ship.”
Johnson’s motivation to do the job came after his father promised to help him pay for a Jet Ski that he’d wanted if he worked through the summer. He had stayed persistent and gotten through the challenge but unfortunately, it was too late to enjoy his reward just then. “So I got to buy my Jet Ski, which was very cool and rewarding, but unfortunately the season was over by the time I saved up for it, so I couldn’t go ride it until the next spring. That was way too long staring at it in the garage”, he said.
Jimmie Johnson, the daredevil and his love for Jet Skis
As a youngster, Johnson loved anything that could go fast and Jet Skis made it onto his radar along with motorcycles and dirt bikes. When he was 8, he suffered a motorcycle accident in which he broke seven toes. In just a few months after that misfortune, he was back on his Jet Ski messing around with his friends. During his junior year in high school, Johnson also worked as a test rider for Nichols Jet Skis.
Leaning all the way into my Girl Dad status pic.twitter.com/3eRdlIXwdJ
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) October 27, 2023
Johnson’s love for speed on water followed him far into the future. In a 2003 interview, he talked about a gift that he’d got from his new Hendrick Motorsports sponsor, Lowe. He said, “They announced the Lowe’s sponsorship the day after my birthday and they rolled out a brand new jet ski painted up like my racecar.”
