Michael Jordan, star of a little movie called Space Jam and every Bro’s sports hero growing up, has plenty of money in the bank. But his personal worth has never hit the coveted ten-figure club until today. The 2015 Forbes Billionaires list added His Airness for the first time thanks to his stake in the Charlotte Hornets, which is estimated at $500 million. Via Forbes:
The most famous rookie on the billionaires list? Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and indisputably the best-paid athlete of all time. Most of h is cash comes from Nike payouts on his iconic brand. The Jordan brand grossed an estimated $2.25 billion in 2013, earning his Airness some $90 million. But his most valuable asset is his stake in the Charlotte Hornets, worth more than $500 million. When ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for a stunning $2 billion, values of all NBA teams skyrocketed, creating three new billionaires. Jordan’s old boss Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls, joined the list with a fortune of $1.3 billion, and Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander boosted his net worth to $1.6 billion.
I hope Jordan celebrates his new billionaire status in the most Michael Jordan way possible: With a trip to a blackjack table in Atlantic City the next time the Hornets are in the playoffs.
[H/T: SB Nation]