Michael Jordan joins the Forbes 400 list with a $3 billion fortune

The NBA star is in a unique position right now because to the sale of the Charlotte Hornets: he is the first professional athlete to be included among the 400 richest persons in the United States.

Since 1984, when Michael Jordan first stepped onto an NBA court, it has been obvious that he would command a hefty contract. He made $94 million over his 16-year NBA career, and in 1997 and 1998, he was the highest-paid player in the league. But outside the gym, Jordan distinguished himself from every other athlete on the planet, making $2.4 billion (before taxes) over the course of his career from endorsement deals with companies like McDonald’s, Gatorade, Hanes, and, of course, Nike, where his final annual royalty check came to about $260 million.

Jordan made the highest profit in August when he sold his controlling interest in the Charlotte Hornets for an outrageous $3 billion. It would have been a victory for the 60-year-old Hall of Famer even if he had sold at Forbes’ most current valuation, which is projected to be 1.7 billion in 2022. Instead, when Jordan became the organization’s major owner in 2010, the NBA’s 27th most valuable franchise sold for the second-highest asking price in league history and nearly 17 times its value.