LeBron James could very well shout “And I’m still the king” when he celebrates his 40th birthday this Monday, but contrary to what José Alfredo Jiménez’s lyrics say, the Lakers’ number 23 does have money, a lot of money.
The small forward is the athlete with the highest income earned off the field. As the Forbes rankings area points out, the basketball player is the most successful advertising seller among the highest-paid athletes in the world.
In the last 12 months through May, LeBron James earned $80 million from sponsorships, licenses, souvenirs and other businesses. The one who came closest was the footballer Lionel Messi, with 70 million dollars.
On the court, James was the highest-paid player in the NBA for the eleventh consecutive year, with a salary of $48.7 million for the 2024-25 season.
The sum of both incomes is $128.7 million (before taxes and agent fees) and is the highest figure in the 15-year history of Forbes’ NBA rankings, surpassing the $124.5 million that James earned in 2022-23. .
The first active NBA to be on the list of billionaires
LeBron James was recognized by Forbes as a billionaire in 2022 after his net worth will reach $1 billion.
He was the first active NBA player to appear on Forbes’ billionaires list. Michael Jordan, basketball’s other billionaire, didn’t reach ten figures until 2014, more than a decade after he retired.
According to Forbes estimates, James has generated more than $900 million (before taxes) off the court, thanks to his businesses and endorsement deals with companies like PepsiCo and Nike.
LeBron James, the shareholder
The athlete, nicknamed “The King,” has structured deals to gain equity in the brands he partners with, giving him a share of the profits rather than a quick paycheck.
In 2015, James abandoned an endorsement deal with McDonald’s, worth an estimated $15 million over four years, to bet on the fast-growing Blaze Pizza chain, in which he is an investor.
It has also acquired shares in brands such as smart gym maker Tonal and ride-sharing giant Lyft.
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James and his business partner Maverick Carter created SpringHill, a film and television production company.
His foundation opened its first elementary school in 2018 and has committed more than $40 million to send children to college.
LeBron James wants to own an NBA team. As an investor in Fenway Sports Group, he already has stakes in professional baseball, soccer and hockey teams.
In 2011 he acquired a minority stake in Liverpool FC, the English Premier League soccer team, when his sports marketing company partnered with Fenway Sports Group. In 2021, LeBron and Maverick Carter exchanged their stakes in Liverpool for a stake in FSG.
By 2022, LeBron James was estimated to have about 1% of FSG, which owns the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park and Liverpool, as well as half of Roush Fenway Racing and 80% of New England Sports Network.
In late 2021, FSG agreed to pay around $900 million to add the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins to its portfolio.
In March he joined a host of celebrities investing in golf’s newest business venture, PGA Tour Enterprises.
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Your real estate
As of 2022, LeBron James owned at least three properties, with a total value of $80 million.
He built a $10 million mansion near his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
He bought an eight-bedroom apartment in the posh Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2017 for $23 million.
He also has a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills. He paid $36.75m for the 1930s hilltop house, which he demolished to replace it with a mansion of his own.
LeBron James’ tough start
LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio, the son of a 16-year-old single mother who was struggling to get by.
He lived with family, friends, neighbors and his football coach.
He moved a dozen times in three years, before becoming the most hyped high school basketball prospect of all time.
At 18 he signed his first contract with Nike in 2003 and turned down offers from Reebok and Adidas in favor of what he saw as a better long-term partner.
After more than a decade of success, he reached a lifetime agreement with Nike at the end of 2015, a firm that pays him tens of millions of dollars annually.
“I want to maximize my business. And if I happen to make it, if I happen to become a billion-dollar athlete, wow! “My God, I’m going to be excited!” he declared to GQ magazine in 2014.
Currently, LeBron James’ net worth is estimated by Forbes at $1.2 billion.
With information from Francisco Rivera
