How much will Michael Jordan earn from ‘The Last Dance’? $0

The GOAT is donating all his earnings to charity
Apr 21, 2020
PHOTO: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA Photos

ZERO dollars.

That’s exactly how much Michael Jordan will be earning from The Last Dance, a 10-episode documentary series which premiered its first two eps yesterday, April 20, on Netflix (or if you’re in the US, ESPN).

This is not to say that Jordan won’t be getting any money from the docu-series.

It’s just that he’ll be donating all of it to charity.


That was the revelation made by Kurt Badenhausen, sports and money staffwriter at Forbes. Badenhausen wrote in a listicle:$0: The amount Jordan will bank from The Last Dance. He’s donating his entire share of the proceeds, which should reach at least $3 million to $4 million, to charitable causes.”

Badenhausen didn’t say which charities will be benefiting from Jordan’s largesse, but according to the NBA, No. 23 has personally donated substantial sums to museums, Chicago-area charities, and disaster relief funds.

Badenhausen also did not say where he got the projected $3 to $4 million dollar figure, though he did cite a report from Ad Age that said State Farm, Facebook, Reese’s chocolates, and an unnamed pharmaceutical advertiser are sponsoring the ESPN and Netflix co-production.

His Airness’ net worth and earnings, thankfully, are solid enough for him to forego income from The Last Dance.

The funny thing is, Jordan never really made his money while he was a player. In fact, he only became part of the billionaires’ club back in 2014. That year, he increased his stake in the Charlotte Hornets to 89.5 percent, reported Forbes’ Mike Ozanian at the time — bumping his finances up to finally break the big 10-figure bar.

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Since then, Jordan is estimated to be worth $2.1 billion. He is #1,001 in Forbes’ 2020 Billionaires List.

Majority of his wealth comes from two major sources: the Charlotte Hornets, and existing endorsements.

Let’s talk about the Hornets first.

Jordan, who built his formidable reputation with the Chicago Bulls, made a savvy business move in 2010: he became the majority team owner of the Charlotte Bobcats — the first ever ex-player to do so in the NBA.

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The previous majority team owner was Robert Johnson, America’s first black billionaire. The Bobcats — who in that year managed to reach the playoffs but were swept convincingly by the Magic — had been steadily bleeding money. Johnson offloaded his stake to Jordan for $275 million, according to ESPN, but ultimately, Forbes’ Mike Ozanian reported that Jordan actually just paid around $175 million.

Since that time, the Bobcats morphed into the Hornets, and while still in no one’s list as a contender, are currently valued by Forbes at a respectable $1.5 billion.


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“It is a massive return for MJ who took control of the team in 2010 in a deal that valued the franchise at $175 million,” said Forbes. In 2019, Jordan sold his minority stake to New York-based investors for an undisclosed amount. While the Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell said that Jordan still retains full control, the deal must have surely improved the GOAT’s bottom line.

Now for his endorsements.

In Nike’s 2019 fiscal year (that is, from May 2018 to May 2019), the Jordan brand earned $3.14 billion for the Big Swoosh. MJ’s cut from the earnings is an estimated $130 million, according to Kurt Badenhausen.

In comparison, LeBron only earned $32 million in Nike royalties.

Badenhausen wrote, “Arguably, 16 years after he last laced up his own high tops on the court, more Jordan-branded shoes and apparel are being sold than the signature lines of every other current NBA player. Combined.”

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Jordan’s GOAT status is undoubtedly a major factor in the longevity of the Jordan brand. But the line’s marketing savvy and its willingness to sign up potential stars like Zion Williamson have kept Air Jordan from stagnating. Long after Jordan’s glory days, it’s still the among the holy grails of sneaker culture.

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According to various recent Forbes reports, he probably pulls in around $130 million to $140 million a year from his shoes.

Plus, Michael Jordan is still shilling for Hanes, Gatorade, and Upper Deck.

In his 15 years of playing for both the Bulls and the Wizards, Jordan earned just $90 million. He’s amassed billions since then. That three or four mill from The Last Dance?

Chump change.

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PHOTO: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA Photos
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