LeBron James is a billionaire, and he’s built his fortune on the back of hard work and smart investments. However, if you ask him about his money, he’ll turn his back to you.
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The Lakers star became the first active NBA player to reach a net worth of $1 billion earlier this year, and he joined a short list of athletes to make that much money.
LeBron, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods are the only athletes to reach the billion dollar mark, and that figure is a testament to their hardwork both within and outside their playing career.
After all, while these guys are some of the richest people in the world, they make most of their money from outside their respective leagues.
LeBron has a shoe deal with Nike has starred in movies, invests in various businesses, and much more to keep his income flowing. Jordan did the same, and so did Tiger Woods. LeBron also uses his money for charitable causes, the biggest being his I Promise school which gives free education to underprivileged kids in Ohio.
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LeBron James isn’t fond of showing off his money
LeBron comes from a tough background. His mother was just 16-years old when he was born, and his father, Anthony McClelland, was absent for most of his life.
Gloria James was in a casual relationship with McClelland when LeBron was born, and he did not play a supportive role in raising their kid. McClelland had an extensive criminal record and forced Gloria to live with her mother, Freda James, her grandmother, and two brothers.
After Gloria’s mother and grandmother died, she was left alone to take care of LeBron and her brothers. However, LeBron’s father’s absence did not deter him from working hard, and he used it as motivation to get to where he is right now.
That’s also why LeBron isn’t keen on revealing how much money he has. In 2017, LeBron explained why he’d turn his back to anyone asking about his money.
“If there’s one thing that I still do — when I was broke and now that I have money — is that I will never ever pull my money out in front of somebody,” he said. “Meaning, like, if someone asked me for some money, you will never know how much money I’ve got in my pocket. I’m gonna turn my back on you.
“That just comes from me just being from the bottom, from my uncle always saying ‘never let someone see your stash,’ James continued. “And I can’t shake it. I’ve tried and my friends laugh at me all of the time; ‘Man, we don’t care how much money you’ve got. We know how much money you’ve got.’ No, you don’t. I can’t shake it, sorry.”
Even as a billionaire and one of the greatest players of all time, LeBron stays humble.
