100 Michael Jordan Facts: How Much Money Does The Retired NBA Player Make? Net Worth, Age, Height, Wife, Kids, Bio, Wiki

Biography facts about former Basketball legend Michael Jeffrey Jordan known popularly as Michael Jordan or MJ that every fan should know.

NBA legend Michael Jordan called by his real name Michael Jeffrey Jordan but known popular online as MJ is a 58-years-old American businessman and former professional basketball player born on February 17, 1963.

He is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls.

Michael Jordan has a net worth of $2.2 billion in 2021. During his career to date, he has earned $1.4 billion in pre-tax endorsement dollars. He earned around $93 million from an NBA salary. He lost $170 million in a divorce settlement with his first wife. Michael’s best career investment has been his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets. He bought a majority stake in the team in 2010 f0r $175 million. In 2019 he sold a minority portion of his stake to an investment group in a transaction that valued the team at $1.5 billion.

His biography on the official National Basketball Association website states: “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.” 

Former high-flying Chicago Bulls shooting guard known as “Air Jordan.” He is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a 6-time NBA champion, 6-time NBA Finals MVP, and 5-time NBA MVP. 

He didn’t make the varsity squad as a sophomore at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina because he was only 5’11”. 

He was a noted product endorser and famously dunked from the free-throw line during a slam-dunk competition, leading Gatorade to launch a marketing campaign with the slogan Like Mike.

His father was tragically murdered in July 1993, causing Jordan to enter his first retirement from basketball in October. He had two sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, and a daughter, Jasmine, with his first wife, Juanita Vanoy. He then had two daughters, Victoria and Ysabel, with his second wife, Yvette Prieto. 

He had a longstanding friendship with Charles Barkley. Jordan’s Bulls defeated Barkley and the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA finals.

How did Michael Jordan become a billionaire? How rich is Michael Jordan? What is Michael Jordan’s net worth in 2022? What are the names of Michale Jordan’s children? Read till the end of this article for answers to these and more google search queries.

Michael Jordan Profile Summary

Check out these interesting facts about retired Basketball legend, Michael Jordan that every fan should know…

Early Life

#1. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player.

#2. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Michael Jordan was the third son of James and Delores Jordan, who moved the family to Wilmington, North Carolina when Michael was young.

#3. His mother Deloris worked in finance and his father James R. Jordan Sr. was an equipment supervisor. When Michael was a toddler the family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina.

#4. Jordan attended Ogden Elementary School and then Trask Junior High School.

#5. Jordan has two older brothers, one older sister, and one younger sister.

#6. He is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

#7. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls.

#8. While his family was temporarily staying in the Washington D.C area, Jordan attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

#9. At Emsley A. Laney High School, he became a better student and a three-sport star in football (at quarterback), baseball, and basketball.

#10. He was cut from the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year because at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) he was deemed underdeveloped, but over the summer he grew four inches (10 cm) and practiced even harder.

#11. Over his next two seasons, he averaged 25 points per game. He began focusing on basketball, practicing every morning before school with his high school varsity coach.

#12. In his senior season at Laney High, Jordan averaged a triple-double: 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists. He was selected to the McDonald’s All-American Team as a senior.

#13. Jordan earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina, where he majored in geography.

#14. As a freshman in legendary coach Dean Smith’s team-oriented system, Jordan was named ACC Freshman of the Year.

#15. He was an exciting if not dominant player, but the Tar Heels were led by All-American and future Hall of Famer James Worthy.

#16. Jordan made the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Basketball Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing.

#17. After winning the Naismith College Player of the Year award in 1984, he left Carolina early to enter the NBA Draft and was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round as the third pick overall, after Houston Rockets center Akeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie of the Portland Trail Blazers.

#18. Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986.

About

#19. His biography on the official NBA website states: “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.” He was integral in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon in the process.

#20. Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

#21. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels national championship team in 1982.

#22. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick, and quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring while gaining a reputation as one of the game’s best defensive players.

#23. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free-throw line in Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames “Air Jordan” and “His Airness“.

#24. Jordan won his first NBA championship with the Bulls in 1991, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a “three-peat”.

#25. Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball but returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three more championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998 as well as a then-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season.

#26. He retired for a second time in January 1999 but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards before he retired for good.

#27. Jordan’s individual accolades and accomplishments include six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, ten scoring titles (both all-time records), five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP Awards, three steals titles, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

#28. He holds the NBA records for career regular-season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game).

#29. In 1999, he was named the 20th century’s greatest North American athlete by ESPN and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press’s list of athletes of the century.

#30. Jordan was twice inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, once in 2009 for his individual career and again in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team (“The Dream Team”).

#31, He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

#32. One of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation, Jordan is also known for his product endorsements.

#33. He fueled the success of Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1984 and remain popular today.

#34. Jordan also starred as himself in the 1996 live-action animated film Space Jam and is the central focus of the Emmy Award-winning documentary miniseries The Last Dance (2020).

#35. He became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats (now named the Hornets) in 2006 and bought a controlling interest in 2010.

#36. In 2014, Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history. With a net worth of $2.1 billion, he is the fourth-richest African American, behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, and Oprah Winfrey.

Personal life

#37. Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry and James, one older sister, Delores, and a younger sister, Roslyn.

#38. He married Juanita Jordan in September 1989, and they have two sons, Jeffrey Jordan and Marcus Jordan, and a daughter, Jasmine.

#39. Michael and Juanita filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter.

#40. They filed for divorce again on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made “mutually and amicably”.

#41. On July 21, 2006, a Cook County, Illinois, judge determined that Jordan did not owe a former lover, Karla Knafel $5 million. Knafel said Jordan promised her that amount for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991. A DNA test showed Jordan was not the father of the child. Knafel’s attorney, Michael Hannafan, said his client also will appeal this latest ruling.

#42. Jordan’s father, James, was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery, who was caught after being traced from calls the pair made on James Jordan’s cellular phone. Both assailants were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

#43. Jordan’s brother James R. Jordan was the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army.

#44. Jordan is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and has the letter omega (Ω) branded on his chest.

#45. Jordan currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois.

College Career

#46. Not surprisingly, Michael, who now stood 6 foot 6, was recruited by dozens of college programs including Syracuse, UVA, Duke, and the University of North Carolina. He ultimately chose to attend UNC.

#47. At UNC he averaged 13.5 points per game and was named ACC Freshman of the Year, leading the team to the 1982 NCAA Championship against the Georgetown Hoyas. With 15 seconds left in the game, Michael hit a go-ahead basketball over Georgetown Center Patrick Ewing. This would turn out to be the game-winning shot. Michael would later reveal that this game and that specific shot was a major turning point in his personal confidence and future basketball career.

NBA Career

#48. Michael spent three seasons with the UNC Tar Heels, winning many accolades including the Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984.

#49. He left UNC one year early to enter the 1984 draft. Impressively, Michael returned to UNC in 1986 to finish his degree and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in geography.

#50. Amazingly, he was not the first pick. He was the THIRD pick after Sam Bowie (#2) and Hakeem Olajuwon. Michael was chosen by the Chicago Bulls as the third overall pick.

#51. Michael signed his rookie contract with the Bulls on September 12, 1984. The contract was a seven-year, $6 million deal, averaging to around $850,000 per season. In the year before Michael became a Bull, the team only sold out six total games. In Michael’s rookie season, attendance doubled.

#52. At the end of his fifth season, Michael and Chicago agreed on an eight-year, $25 million contract extension. It was the largest transaction in NBA history up to that point. Michael’s salary jumped to around $5 million per year as a result. When this contract was up in 1996, Michael signed a one-year $30 million deal. The next year he signed a one-year $33.14 million deal. The latter is worth the same as around $55 million today after adjusting for inflation.

#53. Michael retired and returned to the NBA twice. He retired once to play minor league baseball. When he returned to the NBA a second time, he played for the Washington Wizards for two seasons.

#54. As we’ve mentioned previously, Michael earned $93.7 million in total salary during his NBA career. After adjusting each year for inflation, he earned $161 million in salary.

Nike Deal And Annual Royalties

#55. Before Michael Jordan, the largest celebrity shoe endorsement contract in the world was James Worthy’s $150,000 annual deal with New Balance.

#56. In 1984, Jordan shattered all endorsement records when Nike agreed to pay him $500,000 per year for five years.

#57. Jordan also received Nike stock options which brought his total compensation to $7 million over five years.

#58. Prior to signing the deal, Michael had never worn a pair of Nike shoes in his life and had been hoping to sign with Adidas, but Nike’s offer was too rich to turn down and too much for Adidas to match.

#59. When he debuted the shoes, they violated the NBA’s uniformity restrictions. Nike paid all the league’s fines and used the controversy to build excitement around the brand.

#60. The Air Jordan shoe first appeared in stores in March 1985 and two months later had sold over a million pairs.

#61. Within the first year, Air Jordan generated $100 million in revenues for Nike.

#62. Today, 58% of all basketball shoe sales are Air Jordans and the brand generates over $2.5 billion in annual sales for Nike.

#63. In 1992, Michael earned 25 cents for every Jordan shoe that were sold. Today he earns $4 per shoe sold.

#64. Between 2002 and 2012, Nike paid Michael $480 million in shoe royalties.

#65. Today Michael Jordan’s annual Nike royalty check typically comes in around $80 – $100 million. However, in a number of years, his royalty check has topped $100 – $120 million.

Endorsements

#66. Throughout his impressive career and even through to the present, Michael Jordan has been a spokesman for many corporate brands including Nike, Gatorade, Wheaties, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Hanes, and MCI.

#67. Jordan also maintains deals with Upper Deck, 2K Sports, and Five Star Fragrances.

#68. He owns a car dealership and seven restaurants.

#69. After Nike, one of his biggest early endorsement deals, one that would become lifetime cornerstones for MJ, was with Gatorade.

#70. At the end of the 1989 season, Michael signed a 10-year, $18 million endorsement contract with Gatorade. Gatorade’s famous “Be Like Mike” ad initially ran after the Bulls won their first of six titles. The Michael/Gatorade partnership brought both the brand and the man to even greater heights of popularity.

#71. A 2015 lawsuit against a supermarket chain that allegedly used Michael’s image without permission revealed that the superstar does not sign deals unless he expects to ultimately earn a minimum of $10 million from the partnership.

#72. We also learned that Michael at one point had turned down $80 million to endorse a line of headphones because he apparently doesn’t like wearing headphones.

#73. As of this writing, Michael Jordan has earned $1.4 billion from corporate partners during his career (before taxes).

Juanita Jordan Divorce Settlement

#74. Michael married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989. They had three children together.

#75. When Michael filed for divorce from Juanita Jordan in 2002 after 13 years of marriage, he was ultimately forced to pay her a $168 million divorce settlement.

#76. It was one of the most expensive divorces in history. The settlement included cash, stocks, and the value of their various real estate holdings.

#77. Michael has been married to Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto since April 2013. She gave birth to their identical twin daughters in February 2014.

What is Michael Jordan’s net worth, salary and career earnings?

#78. Michael Jordan is a retired American basketball player, team owner, product endorser, and entrepreneur. Michael Jordan’s net worth is $2.2 billion in 2021 according to a report by Celebrity Net Worth.

#79. During his NBA career, Michael earned a total of $93.7 million in salary. He was the first athlete in history to earn over $30 million per year in salary.

#80. He accomplished that feat during the 1996-1997 season when he earned $30.14 million in base salary.

#81. The following season he earned $33.14 million which is the same as earning $53.4 million today after adjusting for inflation.

#82. Even though he has not played basketball professionally in nearly two decades, today Michael earns $100 million per year from endorsements and various other business ventures. Please note that this is more in a single year than he earned from his salary in 16 NBA seasons.

#83. Michael earns at least $60 million every year from Nike/Jordan brand royalties.

#84. Michael achieved billionaire status thanks to his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets NBA team.

How Michael Jordan Became A Billionaire

#85. After taxes, divorce settlements, and other lifestyle costs, Michael’s net worth in 2006 was around $450 million.

#86. That same year, he bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats NBA team. At the time he was the team’s second-largest individual owner behind BET founder Robert Johnson.

#87. In 2010, Michael paid $175 million to buy out Robert’s stake in the team. With this transaction, Michael owned 80% of the team.

#88. In June 2014, it was revealed that Michael had increased his ownership stake again, this time from 80% to 89.5%. At the time, the newly renamed Hornets had recently been valued at $500 million, with $135 million worth of debt.

#89. Around this time the Clippers, which had recently been valued at $500 million, sold for $2 billion.

#90. Assuming the Hornets at this point were actually worth $600 million, that meant Michael’s stake after the debt was worth $416 million, which, when combined with his $600 million outside fortune, made Michael Jordan a billionaire for the first time with a net worth of $1.016 billion.

#91. In 2019 Michael sold a small piece of his stake to hedge fund managers Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim at a valuation of $1.5 billion.

Real Estate and Private Jet

#92. Michael’s primary residence today is a lavish mansion in Jupiter, Florida. The 26,000 square foot, 11-bedroom home sits on three acres located within Jack Nicklaus’ ultra-exclusive Bear’s Club community.

#93. He bought the lot in 2011 for $4.8 million, then spent two years and $7.6 million constructing a dream home.

#94. He also owns a $3 million lake home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a luxury condo in the city so he can be close to his Hornets.

#95. He reportedly also owns a property in Salt Lake City, Utah.

#96. Back in Chicago, Michael still owns a large mansion in Highland Park.

#97. Michael purchased a lot in Highland Park in 1991 and quickly set about building his dream home.

#98. The end result was a 7-acre property whose main house alone is 32,683 square feet. The house has nine bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, an NBA-quality basketball court, pool pavilion, 15-car garage, card room, tennis courts, PGA-quality putting green, cigar room, wine cellar… and so much more.

#99. Michael listed the house for sale in 2013 for $29 million. In May 2015 the price was reduced to $14.8 million. It has yet to find a buyer.

#100. Michael Jordan owns a $50 million customized Gulfstream IV private jet that shuttles him to and from houses all over the world. The jet’s tail features Michael’s famous “Jumpman” logo.

Summary

As of 2020 Michael Jordan’s net worth is $2.2 billion. During his career to date, he has earned $1.4 billion in pre-tax endorsement dollars. He earned around $93 million from an NBA salary. He lost $170 million in a divorce settlement with his first wife. Michael’s best career investment has been his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets. He bought a majority stake in the team in 2010 f0r $175 million. In 2019 he sold a minority portion of his stake to an investment group in a transaction that valued the team at $1.5 billion.

Michael Jordan Social Media

Twitter: @Jumpman23

Instagram: @Jumpman23

Michael Jordan’s quotes:

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot…and missed. I’ve failed over, and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Wealth Milestones

In September 2009, he was with a net worth of $500 million. He first became a billionaire six years later in 2014. He first topped $2 billion in early 2020.

Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Michael’s NBA salary history:

Career highlights and awards

• 6× NBA Champion
  (1991–1993, 1996–1998)
• 6x NBA Finals MVP
  (1991–1993, 1996–1998)
• 5× NBA MVP
  (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
• 14× NBA All-Star
  (1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002, 2003)
• 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
• 10× All-NBA First Team Selection
  (1987–1993, 1996–1998)
• 1985 All-NBA Second Team Selection
• 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection
  (1988–1993, 1996–1998)
• 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
• 1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
• 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP
  (1988, 1996, 1998)
• 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner
  (1987, 1988)
• 2× Gold Medal Winner in the Olympics
  (1984, 1992)
• NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• 4× Best NBA Player ESPY Award
• No. 23 retired by the Chicago Bulls
• No. 23 retired by the Miami Heat