LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time. The man has been special ever since he stepped foot on an NBA court. He led the Cavaliers to the Finals in just his 4th year.
LeBron James is the first active NBA player to earn $1 billion in salary and endorsements pic.twitter.com/5Euyq1rgx2
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) July 24, 2021
He is often referred to as The King, but that name goes beyond the basketball court. LeBron James is also the only active NBA player that has reached the status of a Billionaire. This man has done it all, his on-court achievements are always a topic of discussion. But, today we’re gonna talk about the things that this man has achieved off the court through his business moves.
From Championship glory with the Lakers, Miami, and Cleveland to Glory in business The King has done it all.
Endorsement deals that elevated LeBron James to the Billionaire mark
LeBron is an NBA Billionaire but his salary isn’t what has led him to this mark. He has made his billions off the court through business deals and endorsements. Let’s have a look at some of his most lucrative deals. LeBron has made more than more than $385 million in NBA salary throughout his career.
LeBron James’ lifetime contract with Nike
LeBron James, Micheal Jordan, and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only athletes in Nike history to get a lifetime deal. LeBron’s lifetime deal with Nike is estimated to earn him over $1B throughout his life. Andres Iniesta is also a star athlete who has a lifetime deal, but not with Nike though, his lifetime deal is with FC Barcelona.
LeBron James’ stake in Liverpool FC
Apart from making millions from basketball, LeBron has also made millions from football or soccer. He bought a minority 2% stake in Liverpool some years ago. In 2019, the value of that 2% stake rose to $40M.
Is this the greatest investment Lebron James ever made?
In 2011,the Basketball legend purchased a 2% stake in Liverpool FC for $6.5 million.Recently, he converted that 2% stake into a 1% stake of Liverpool’s parent company FSG, his stake is currently valued at $100 Million #LFC pic.twitter.com/lTjaVBPIMU
— Lauren Pattison✨ (@laurenpat96) June 26, 2022
James’ equity stake in Blaze Pizza
LeBron was a big believer in Blaze Pizza, he even turned down a $15M offer from McDonald’s to invest in Blaze Pizza. Today, his equity stake with Blaze is valued at around $40M.
LeBron James & his business partner @mavcarter acquired 10% of Blaze Pizza for less than $1M in 2012.
Blaze Revenue:
2012: $800K
2013: $5M
2014: $33M
2015: $100M
2016: $185M
2017: $280M
2018: $340M
2019: $400MThis will be one of the best athlete investments ever. pic.twitter.com/AhReIpJ629
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) February 6, 2021
LeBron James’ endorsement deals with AT&T, Beats, Walmart, Rimowa, and GMC
LeBron has endorsement deals with all of these multi-national companies that are going to earn him tens of millions of dollars.
Property investments made by LeBron James
Apart from investing in businesses, LeBron has also poured a good chunk of money into properties. He currently lives in a $36m mansion in Beverly Hills. Apart from this The King also has property in Miami and Cleveland.
Real estate: $80 million
According to Forbes, James owns properties that are worth $80 million.
These include:
1.A Beverly Hills mansion https://t.co/bjqTBly3ZR 8-bedroom home in Los Angeles’
3.A $10 million mansion he built near his hometown of Akron, Ohio.— Wizz (@wizzofbizz) June 26, 2022
LeBron may not be number 1 on your all-time list but he tops the list of the NBA’s biggest money makers.