Michael Jordan is currently worth a mind-blowing $2.2 billion. His net worth made majorly from his endorsements and entrepreneurship far exceeds that of any other athlete in America if not the world. But do not let that mislead you. MJ grew up in a humble household where every resource came with a constant battle. In fact, he even worked odd jobs as a teenager.
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This may sound odd to the uninitiated. The ones who are not familiar with the origins of Michael Jordan may in fact believe he came from a lot of money. It’s the way he carried himself, it oozed authority and richness.
In all honesty, Michal found most of that richness later in his life. As a child, his parents worked for ungodly hours just to make ends meet. Raising four children wasn’t easy even back then.
So, to ensure MJ knew what it took to earn money, Deloris found a way to get her son a job. In his book Michael Jordan: The Life, Roland Lazenby detailed how the Bulls legend’s mother begged a hotel owner to give her son a job. Deloris knew him because she worked in the bank and he was one of the customers that visited.
James and Deloris Jordan badgered Michael Jordan to find a job
As Michael Jordan was rising through the state of North Carolina for his basketball skills, James Jordan and Deloris had their own worries. They wanted their son to learn what it meant to hold a job, so they spent a long time berating their son.
The urgency of the whole situation finally caused Deloris to call in a favor. Whitey Prevatte, a hotel and restaurant owner, upon Deloris’ urging, agreed to give MJ a job.
The role of Jordan’s occupation involved cleaning, painting, and changing AC filters among other odd things. In his own words, he was a maintenance man and the job paid only $3.1 an hour. That was the only job Michael ever worked. He ended up playing in the NBA not much later.
Michael detailed the role in Lazenby’s book:
“I was a hotel maintenance man I was cleaning out pools, painting rails, changing air-conditioner filters, and sweeping out the back room.”
MJ’s first paycheck stub ended up in a museum
In his book, Lazenby also narrated the story of how MJ’s first job found its way to a museum. Apparently, the paycheck stub given by Prevatte reached Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington. The paycheck was worth $119.76.
Prevatte also claimed that he received many customers who were searching for the place where MJ worked. The stub, worth even less than $120 has probably earned thousands of dollars for Whitey.
