During the 90s, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal were two of the most popular figures in the NBA, one at the end of his career and the other shining as one of the young stars of the league. His sports careers are worthy of admiration and comparison in certain aspects, but in the business world it is ‘MJ’ who has a notable advantage.
In terms of contracts and salaries as pro players, O’Neal netted far more than Jordan, courtesy of impressive deals he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, amassing a career total of $286 million. In contrast, Jordan just racked up $93 million in salaries with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.
Michael Jordan made it to Forbes’ billionaires list for the first time. http://t.co/z6lLKtQYbq pic.twitter.com/HssqIFjE3W
— Complex (@Complex) March 2, 2015
However, what Jordan has done in the business world simply puts him on another level. He has earned more than $2 billion both in endorsement deals as a player and through his entire string of investments after retiring from the NBA, ranking as one of the highest-earning retired athletes in history according to Forbes.
“Your Majesty’s” net worth is currently over $1.7 billion, being the majority investor of the now Charlotte Hornets, holding shares in multiple companies such as DraftKings and also receiving millions in profits thanks to the Air Jordan brand. sponsored by Nike.
While 60% of former NBA players go bankrupt within five years of retiring, Shaquille O’Neal is thriving. The basketball star has a net worth of $400 million thanks to his investment in franchises such as Five Guys and Papa John’s https://t.co/UOs5Ucoi2a
– THE COUNTRY America (@elpais_america) June 23, 2022
For his part, O’Neal has a far from modest net worth of $400 million, which is included in addition to his NBA salaries, his advertising and sponsorship deals, as well as investments in different business areas, such as from Papa John’s, Five Guys and WynnBET.
The difference is enormous, but this does not mean that they are both two of the few players who have known how to take advantage of their bonanza in the NBA and have multiplied their fortunes significantly off the court, a rarity in the world of sports.
