LeBron James has always been savvy with his business decisions off the court. As the only active player in the league who’s a billionaire, James once left businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffet speechless. Buffet had the opportunity to meet the Lakers superstar back in the late 2000s. After meeting the NBA superstar, the investor only wished he was as smart as The King at his age.
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Warren had a history of spending time with athletes and sports stars, having developed good relationships with Alex Rodriguez and Ndamukong Suh, to name a few. The billionaire businessman was eager to meet James, and LeBron was equally excited to meet the Oracle of Omaha.
After the two shared a day with one another, Buffet even attended a few Cavs home games to witness LBJ in action. Back in 2009, Warren told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, “LeBron is very clever in the way he looks at his business off the court. He has the right priorities. I wish I was as smart about business when I was his age.”: From LeBron James Inc. by Brian Windhorst
According to Forbes, James has a net worth of $1 billion. But that is not all from his NBA salaries as The King has numerous tie-ups with brands, playing the role of an ambassador by promoting their product or services.
Throughout his NBA career, James has earned nearly $500 million through his NBA contracts, as per Spotrac. But it is the lifetime deal he has with Nike or the brand partnership with PepsiCo. And Walmart which adds to his net worth.
LeBron’s first meeting with Buffet
LeBron James and Warren Buffet did not cross paths randomly. The two have Lobos founder Paul Wachter to thank for that. Had it not been for Wachter, James, and Buffet may never have met. Since he had done business with Buffet’s firm, Berkshire Hathaway, Wachter was already on good terms with the billionaire.
Being a businessman and investment adviser himself, Wachter arranged for James to travel to Omaha to meet with Buffet. The two ate cheeseburgers, drank milkshakes, and discussed business strategies.
Buffet even filmed a segment wherein he supposedly defeated James in a one-on-one pickup game. But it is safe to assume that the very first meeting with the Kid from Akron made Buffet realize how smart he was with his money and his business decisions at such a young age.
