LeBron James turned a million into $50M from his 2012 investment in Blaze Pizza which according to Forbes is the ‘fastest-growing restaurant chain in USA’

Akash Murty | 25/07/2022
LeBron James turned a million into $50M from his 2012 investment in Blaze Pizza which according to Forbes is the 'fastest-growing restaurant chain in USA'

LeBron James owns 19 franchises of Blaze Pizza around the country, his million-dollar investment could now be worth over $50 million.

Some people can just touch something and turn it gold. LeBron James turns grands into millions. The legendary NBA player set for his 20th NBA season in the league is not only at the top of his game on the court.

Off the court, he has made himself just as big. Chasing his idol Michael Jordan outside of basketball as well, The King made himself a billionaire this year and became just the 5th athlete in the world to reach that mark.

All of his older investments have helped him reach that number alongside his biggest and most valuable stake in Spring Hill Company. One of which, a pizza company that he put his NBA earnings into back in 2012, has made him around 50 times that sum.

Also read: Michael Jordan spent $48,000 to ice himself out for Kobe Bryant’s HoF induction

 

Blaze doesn’t only serve LeBron James his favourite Pizza, it has served him millions of dollars on a platter

In July 2017, ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell reported that the then Cavaliers star gained at least $25 million for his roughly 10 percent stake in nationwide chain Blaze Pizza. James had thrown in just under a million around the time Blaze was just budding in the market back in 2012. Now he owns at least 19 restaurants around the country. Forbes called Blaze Pizza the ‘fastest-growing restaurant chain in the U.S.’ in 2017.

According to Rovell, Blaze Pizza at the time sold a percentage of the company to a private equity firm, valuing the company at $250 million. The estimation was James’ financial stake could also climb to $35 million or $40 million when he receives endorsement payments that are part of his deal.

By 2020 his equity stake in the company had grown to $40 million according to an article by mashed. With no recent record of evaluation of the company, a $15 million gain in 3-years between 2017 and 2020 could mean at least $10 million growth in the last 2 years.

That’s nothing short of insane. Making $50 million with under a million dollars in just 10 years is as good as it gets. This massive earning alongside his all other investments, endorsements, and businesses made the Lakers superstar – the first active athlete to make it to the billionaire category.

Also read: Billionaire LeBron James hilariously refused to pick up the check during brilliant scene alongside Bill Haider in ‘Trainwreck’

 

 

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
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About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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