According to Forbes, estimated back in June that Jordan, 52, had joined the ranks of the billionaires after increasing his stake in the Charlotte Hornets — the franchise in which he purchased a majority interest for $275 million in March of 2010, back when they were the Bobcats — from 80 percent to 89.5 percent. On Monday, the magazine confirmed Jordan’s status as one of the world’s 290 new billionaires, which sure must represent a nice cherry on top of the Hornets’ 98-83 Sunday win over the Orlando Magic for Charlotte’s Hall of Fame boss. From Forbes’ Dan Alexander:
“The most famous rookie on the billionaires list? Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and indisputably the best-paid athlete of all time. Most of his cash comes from Nike payouts on his iconic brand. The Jordan brand grossed an estimated $2.25 billion in 2013, earning his Airness some $90 million. But his most valuable asset is his stake in the Charlotte Hornets, worth more than $500 million. When ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for a stunning $2 billion, values of all NBA teams skyrocketed, creating three new billionaires. Jordan’s old boss Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls, joined the list with a fortune of $1.3 billion, and Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander boosted his net worth to $1.6 billion.”
