Michael Jordan Is Officially One of Forbes 400 Richest Americans, a First for a Professional Athlete

Michael Jordan has officially joined the Forbes 400. It’s the first time a professional athlete has ranked amongst America’s richest people.

Earlier this year, Jordan significantly increased his bank accounts when he unloaded his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets. He sold it off at an estimated $3 billion valuation for the team, having bought the stake in 2010 for $175 million. Jordan hasn’t been hurting throughout the years, though. Prior to selling his Hornets stake, he cobbled together a tidy sum from Gatorade and Nike endorsements, and is now estimated to be worth around $3 billion.

Speaking to Forbes, Ted Leonsis, owner of multiple sports teams and an investment partner of Jordan’s, marveled at the sports legend’s success in his multiple roles as player, team owner, and sneaker magnate. “Michael's one of the few people that have had success three times,” he said. “A lot of entrepreneurs, they make it once. He’s had three mega successes.”

Professional athletes entering the billionaires club is still fairly rare. Jordan was the first player to do so, in 2014. Lebron James and Tiger Woods soon followed, but no one's been able to compete with the original.

While Jordan has a way to go before reaching the top of the list, he has no lack of cash-flow opportunities. In addition to maintaining a small stake in the Hornets, Jordan has his NASCAR team, which Leonsis estimates will occupy much more of the NBA Hall of Famer’s time moving forward.

“I bet you it's going to end up being a great business for him too,” Leonsis told Forbes. “It's his competitiveness and desire to win.”