Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls legend is perhaps sports’ most illustrious athlete. We say sport because frankly, the spectacle that is MJ is quite simply unmatchable. Not only is he a legend in the NBA. Michael Jordan’s name is synonymous with the game of basketball and his eponymous shoe brand is the hottest name in the sneaker industry.
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There is no surprise here that he is a billionaire. But the gulf that is between him and others speaks for itself. Every athlete in the world wants to “be like Mike”. While that may have been a line for advertisement in the 1980s and 90s, in the 2020s, it is a goal.
A list of Highest Paid Athletes of All-Time, which is adjusted for inflated, shows Jordan leading the way by some distance.
The sheer amount of money he has racked up throughout his lifetime is staggering. What’s more, he has made more since retiring than most athletes will in their careers.
Also read: “The Kid From Akron”: LeBron James New Gold and Diamond Chain for NBA Scoring Title is a Work of Art
Michael Jordan puts an $800 million gulf between himself and Tiger Woods on an all-time list
Yes, that headline itself should tell you everything. On the list published by Joe Pompliano on his Twitter, it shows that Michael Jordan has made $3.3 billion in lifetime earnings.
The Top 10 highest-paid athletes of all time, according to @Sportico.
For context, Michael Jordan’s Nike income alone ($1.8 billion) would put him #3 on the list. pic.twitter.com/QL8l79wbjh
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 7, 2023
In a distant second is Tiger Woods with $2.5 billion in career earnings. The gulf is an enormous $800 million. That is more money than most superstar-level athletes in any sport in the world can dream of earning in their entire career. Ridiculous.
Jordan’s value and particularly that of his name is astounding. Even his last Chicago Bulls contract was so huge that he made more than $33 Million in the 1997-98 season. This number was just recently passed by Stephen Curry in the 2018-19 season, more than 20 years later.
His earnings with the Jordan Brand and Nike are even more mind-boggling.
Michael Jordan’s earnings with Nike would put him as 3rd on the same list!
Each year Nike sends MJ a big check. And each year, that check just gets bigger. This year, it was estimated to be around $250 million.
In total, MJ has made well over $1.8 billion with Nike. This also means that if we were to put him on the same list with just his Nike earnings alone, it would put him in 3rd place.
We don’t think anyone can match MJ’s stature as an athlete and this recent list all but confirms it.
