Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, and the top three wealthiest sportspersons in the world are all either former or current NBA players. From Michael Jordan to LeBron James to Magic Johnson, the sport has seen numerous stars over the decades, but who racked up the highest net worth?
NBA’s Highest Valued Player of All Time
It’s Jordan, and no one comes close to him when it comes to financial dominance. As of 2025, Jordan’s net worth is $3.5 billion (per Forbes), making him the wealthiest athlete not just in the NBA but in all of sports. Next on the list are Johnson and James with net worths of $1.6 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively.
Jordan’s success on the basketball court has been well documented over the years, but his off-court ventures helped him amass a fortune equivalent to a small nation’s GDP. He has earned over $2.4 billion (pre-tax), largely from partnerships with Nike, Hanes, and Gatorade. The iconic Jordan Brand, from his Nike collaboration, still earns him around $60 million annually in royalties. His other business ventures generate $300 to $400 million annually.
Jordan purchased a controlling stake in the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) for $275 million in 2010 and sold it for approximately $3 billion in 2023. He also invests in DraftKings and the NASCAR 23XI Racing team.
Jordan was selected with the third pick in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Bulls, and he soon established himself as the face of the franchise. He won six championships within a span of seven years, including two three-peats. The Kobe and Shaq Lakers are the only other teams that managed to three-peat even once.
However, during his NBA career, Jordan’s salary only peaked at $33.14 million in the 1997–98 season, and he earned just a total of $90 million in salaries. However, his post-retirement ventures have significantly increased his wealth, making him a financial giant in sports.
All of this speaks to Jordan’s greatness and why he is considered by many to be the greatest sportsman of all time. And even at this age, he isn’t done yet.
After rewriting basketball history with the Bulls, shocking the world with a short baseball stint, and diving into NASCAR team ownership, Jordan is now set to make another seismic shift. He joined the “NBA on NBC and Peacock” as a special contributor. While the exact nature of his role hasn’t been revealed yet, the timing couldn’t be more perfect, leaving fans awestruck.
