Michael Jordan has reached many peaks throughout his athletic career and all those achievements have paid off — literally.
The Chicago Bulls legend was named the highest-paid athlete of all time by Sportico, more than 20 years after his playing career ended.
Sportico attributed the majority of his earnings to Nike, with whom Jordan launched the Air Jordans the year he was drafted — one of the most successful and ubiquitous shoe partnerships ever. His earnings from Air Jordan pushed his all-time earnings to $3 billion from when he turned pro in 1984, or $4.15 billion when adjusted for inflation, per Sportico. The brand reported it earned $7 billion in sales last year.
Sportico further reports that 18 of the top 50 are still active in their athletic careers, noting that for some, most of the cash flow comes post-retirement.
Basketball is the most well-represented sport among the top 50, with 13 active and non-active players making the list.
Tiger Woods ($2.79 billion), Cristiano Ronaldo ($2.23 billion), LeBron James ($1.88 billion) and Lionel Messi ($1.49 billion) round out the top five. All four are still active in their playing careers.
#Report #Michael #Jordan #listed #highestpaid #athlete #time
