Photo by: Jason Miller/Getty Images
NBA star LeBron James can’t be stopped!
The 18-time All-Star and 4-time NBA champion is now worth a billion dollars!
According to Forbes, the Los Angeles Lakers star is worth $1 billion, making him the first active NBA player to join the billionaire club.
In a 2014 interview with GQ, James explained that becoming a billionaire has always been a goal.
“If it happens. It’s my biggest milestone,” the Akron native stated. “Obviously. I want to maximize my business. And if I happen to get it, if I happen to be a billion-dollar athlete, ho. Hip hip, hooray! Oh, my God, I’m gonna be excited.”
James reportedly earned more than $121.2 million in 2021 alone, making him the world’s second-highest-paid athlete behind soccer great Lionel Messi.
According to Forbes, while James has earned more than $385 million in pretax compensation throughout his 19-year NBA career, he has accumulated most of his fortune off the court through some wise business decisions.
Those investments helped him reach the $1 billion mark, which he only recently passed.
James has signed deals with companies such as Blaze Pizza, Tonal, and Lyft, among others, off the court. James has started his businesses, including SpringHill Company, founded with longtime friend and business partner Maverick Carter.
Forbes broke down James’ wealth portfolio into many significant assets:
Blaze Pizza: $30 million: Before the company grew to over 300 outlets in the United States and Canada, James invested $1 million for a 10% interest in 2012. He also operated 18 franchise locations in Florida and Illinois on his own.
Real Estate: $80 million: James owns residences in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Akron, Ohio, to name a few.
Fenway Sports Group: $90 million: Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, and Liverpool Football Club, which James owns 1% of. The group also owns Roush Fenway Racing, the New England Sports Network, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Spring Hill Company: $300 million: A collaboration between James’ Robot Company marketing agency, Uninterrupted athlete brand, and SpringHill Entertainment.
Miscellaneous investments: Over $500 million: Other winning investments include Beats by Dre, Ladder Sports Nutrition, Tonal, and Lyft, according to Forbes.
Iconic former basketball Michael Jordan acquired a billionaire status 11 years after retiring when his ownership in the Charlotte Hornets climbed to 89.5 percent in 2014.
Jordan is the only other basketball player worth tens of millions of dollars.
Let’s take this moment to congratulate LeBron! This is huge! 
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