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“Our Bryant Stibel fund grew from $100 million to $2 billion in 6 years”: Kobe Bryant and business partner, Jeff Stibel, once revealed the immense success of their venture capital fund

Samir Mehdi
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“Our Bryant Stibel fund grew from $100 million to $2 billion in 6 years”: Kobe Bryant and business partner, Jeff Stibel, once revealed the immense success of their venture capital fund

Kobe Bryant and his business partner, Jeff Stibel, revealed on CNBC that they had grown their venture capital fund from $100M to $2B. 

What made Kobe Bryant unique was his desire to be the best in all facets of life, not just NBA hardwood. The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the biggest decisions in franchise history by trading for him on Draft Night in 1996 as he bestowed upon them 5 championships over the course of two decades and cemented himself as a figure larger than life itself. 

However, taking his talents off the court and Kobe Bryant was a brilliant man when it came to everything from production to story-telling and to of course, investments. He started the Bryant Stibel venture capital fund back in 2013 with entrepreneur and business partner, Jeff Stibel, and there was no looking back.

Also read: “Hey Michael Jordan, just remember who you’re talking to!”: When Kobe Bryant recalled having competitive conversations with Bulls legend

Both Kobe and Jeff invested in everything from LegalZoom to BodyArmor. The latter of those two was a simple $6 million investment that returned $200 million after the company got acquired by Coca-Cola as direct competition to Pepsi’s Gatorade. 

Kobe Bryant and Jeff Stibel grew their fund to billions of dollars. 

While on CNBC, both Kobe Bryant and Jeff Stibel broke down several aspects of their partnership in Bryant Stibel. They started off with quite the statement as they claimed their fund had grown from a ‘measly’ $100 million to a whopping $2 billion. 

“We had about 18 active, had about 10 exits so it’s been incredibly successful and we’ve watched the fund grow from about 100 million dollars to now over $2 billion, so it’s exciting,” said Stibel.

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Also read: “Kobe Bryant was the second best thing we had seen to Michael Jordan!”: When the Lakers legend took the fight to one of the greatest defenses of all-time at the age of 22

An exit is when a venture capitalist or any owner of a business decided to leave an investment and receive the proportional amount of money that they invested as stake into that company, whether it be a profit or a loss. 

Stibel claiming that him and Kobe Bryant had over 10 exits with their fund also increasing in value only means that they netted massive profits for both themselves and the companies they invested in. it should also be noted that the 6-year period mentioned is due to their fund beginning in 2013 and this interview airing in 2019. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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