Michael Jordan retired 22 years ago in 2003 but it turns out the NBA superstar is still the highest paid athlete in the entire world – and by quite the margin.
Sportico released their chart of the highest-paid athletes of all time, and it revealed that in 2024 it was Michael who made the highest earnings, bringing in an estimated $300 million over the 12 months.
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His work with Nike was responsible for most of his earnings; Michael has been a major spokesman for the brand since 1984, with the Air Jordan sneaker, named in honor of Michael, becoming a status symbol and a huge cultural cornerstone in the last four decades.
CAREER TOTAL
His 2024 earnings pushed his career total to $3 billion, “or $4.15 billion when adjusted for inflation,” according to Sportico.
Tiger Woods is at number two with a career total of $2.79 billion, adjusted for inflation, Cristiano Ronaldo at $2.23 billion, and LeBron James with $1.88 billion.
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NBA STATS
Michael, 62, is a six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player winner and has won 14 NBA All-Star Game selections, three NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, three NBA steals titles, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Michael is also one of only eight players to achieve the basketball Triple Crown: the NCAA championship, NBA championship, and Olympic gold medal.
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Michael played college basketball with the North Carolina Tar Heels and he was drafted into the NBA in 1984 where he joined the Chicago Bulls.
MICHAEL’S NICKNAME
He earned the nicknames “Air Jordan” and “His Airness” because of his ability to jump, and by 1991, within seven years, he had won his first NBA title; Michael and the Bulls achieved the title again in 1992 and 1993, securing a three-peat.
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In 1993, before the following season, he unexpectedly retired citing mental and physical health issues, and decided to play Minor League Baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization.
Yet he returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and they went on to win the Championships again in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Michael retired for the second time in January 1999, but played for the Washington Wizards during 2001 to 2003.
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DREAM PLAYER
He has also won four gold medals, at the 1983 Pan American Games, 1984 Summer Olympics, 1992 Tournament of the Americas and 1992 Summer Olympics, the latter of which he played as part of the Dream team.
As well as Nike, Michael has also worked with Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald’s, and in September 2020, he became an investor and advisor for DraftKings.
Post-retirment, Michael invited in other basketball teams, becooming part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornetss; he sold his controlling stake in 2023 for approximately $3 billion – more than 10 times the $275 million he had paid for the team.
