Historical Spotlight Series: Michael Jordan, Part 3 | From GOAT to Global Mogul

When his active basketball days were officially behind him, Michael Jordan didn’t just fade into obscurity. Timely business moves led to lucrative endorsement deals that ultimately helped push him even higher and higher as a celebrity. He’s one of only a handful of other players who have bridged over from a professional athlete into a successful business man with various investments. Join me as we conclude the Historical Spotlight Series on Michael Jordan and dive into just how he cemented himself into a popular, household name. 

Since this is the last installment of the series, if you haven’t watched the previous parts, you might want to pause this video and go catch up before continuing. 

While he was out chasing greatness, he was also setting his family up as best as he could. On September 2, 1989, Michael married Juanita Vanoy in Las Vegas and the couple went on to have three children named Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine. The two filed for divorce on January 4, 2002 due to irreconcilable differences, but didn’t go through with it. Just a few years later, they filed for divorce again and their split was finalized on December 29, 2006. It’s estimated that Juanita received a $168 million settlement, the largest granted during a celebrity divorce at the time. 

He married his second wife Yvette Prieto on April 27, 2013 and the couple welcomed twin girls Victoria and Ysabel into the world on February 11, 2014. The couple live a relatively private life, but are still happily married according to reports. 

Unfortunately, Michael fell into the trap of gambling and oftentimes participated in high-risk stakes that potentially jeopardized him and his family. He was notorious for gambling while playing golf and going to casinos, but has since worked to get his problem under control. Rumors spread that his 1993 retirement was actually a secret suspension by the NBA for gambling, but those claims have been denied multiple times by NBA Commissioner David Stern. 

In 1986, he returned to North Carolina to complete his degree and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in geography. On November 1, 1994, his No. 23 jersey was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony. Throughout his career, he was known for his competitiveness, excellent work ethic, and trash talk amongst his opponents. He even had a unique “Love of the Game Clause” written into his contract which allowed him to play basketball against anyone at any time, any place. 

The media often painted him in a negative light as a selfish player and abrasive with his teammates, but his hard work spoke for itself. He finished his career with a total of 32,292 points in the regular season and 5,987 points in the playoffs, making him fifth on the NBA all-time scoring list. 

In 2002, he was selected to the ACC 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team and was named the greatest athlete in ACC history. He is also one of only eight players in history to win an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal to achieve the basketball Triple Crown. 

Jordan is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time and the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century. He’s been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated a record number of 50 times over his lifetime. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2009 and he has his own exhibit detailing his excellence. 

After officially retiring, he assumed he’d go back to his previous role of Director of Basketball Operations for the Wizards, but felt slighted after he was let go by Wizards owner. Instead of jumping right back into an executive position, he pursued other passions, played in several celebrity golf charity tournaments, promoted his Jordan Brand clothing line, developed Michael Jordan Motorsports, and spent time with his family.

On June 15, 2006, he bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats and took over its operations as Managing Member of Basketball Operations. He made a conscious effort to not be included in any of the marketing campaigns to not cast a shadow on the team itself. On March 17, 2010, he became the majority owner of the team after a unanimous approval by the NBA Board of Governors. He was the first former player to own an NBA team and the league’s only Black American majority owner. He owned the team for 13 years before selling it in August 2023 for about $3 billion. 

Jordan recently started dabbling in NASCAR and developed 23XI Racing (pronounced twenty-three eleven) in 2020. Bubba Wallace was the inaugural driver in the No. 23 car and the team quickly added a second car, No. 45, the very next season. So far, they’ve had one driver, Tyler Reddick, win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship and are positioning themselves for more wins in the future. 

Outside of his sports ventures, Michael is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He’s had major campaigns with household names like Coke, Gatorade, McDonald’s, Hanes, and more which has helped grow not only his brand, but his likeability. The iconic “Be Like Mike” commercials still live in the hearts of fans and frequently get referenced in pop culture today. He also tried acting and struck gold in 1996 with fan favorite Space Jam.

Even though he hasn’t actively played basketball in decades, he has been featured on the cover of the video game NBA 2K multiple times. The Dark Matter Michael Jordan card is consistently the best player in the game since it’s ranked 99-overall and has 21 Hall of Fame badges. Typically it’s a grind to get that expensive card, but it’s vital once you secure it. 

His signature shoe Air Jordan was created by Nike in 1984 and has since evolved into an independent division named “Jordan Brand” with other athletes and celebrities as endorsers. The brand itself has grown to sponsor entire college sports programs and, as of 2024, generates about $7 billion in revenue each year. 

Across his endorsements, business deals, and investments, it’s estimated that Jordan’s yearly income is over $40 million. While he was playing ball, he signed annual contracts worth more than $30 million per season, setting insane records across the league. He gives credit to his agent, David Falk, for being the legal mastermind behind the profitable deals. 

In June 2014, he became the first NBA player to become a billionaire and in 2017, he increased his wealth even more by becoming a part owner of the Miami Marlins MLB team. As of 2025, his net worth is estimated to be $3.8 billion. 

Over his life, Michael has given back to the communities that have helped him rise to the icon that he is today. In 1996, he founded a Chicago-area Boys & Girls Club in dedication to his late father. From 2001 to 2014, he hosted the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, an annual golf tournament that raised money for different charities. 

He’s been named the Chief Wish Ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and has raised more than $5 million dollars. To give back even more, he donated $10 million for its 60th anniversary in 2023. He’s helped give back for relief efforts during natural disasters like Hurricane Dorian which affected the Bahamas and Hurricane Florence which damaged parts of North Carolina. 

He’s also provided the financial backing to open five family health clinics in Charlotte, Wilmington, and North Hanover County, North Carolina. He’s stood in support of the outcry from the unjust deaths of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, and George Floyd and has donated to organizations fighting for change. 

Even today, there are old heads across the world debating who was better between Michael, LeBron, and Kobe. Unfortunately, since all three of them reigned during different eras of the NBA, it will forever be an unsolvable debate that is determined by a person’s preference. 

Michael Jordan is literally a living icon. He changed not only the landscape of the NBA, but he revolutionized sneakers, brought entire college and professional programs into relevance, headlined in one of the greatest basketball video games that is still in rotation today, and made history by transitioning from just a basketball player to an insanely successful businessman and pop culture legend. 

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Signed, 

Jessica Marie