LeBron James‘ status is far beyond that of a normal basketball star. He’s one of the game’s all-time greats, but what he has done away from the court has arguably been even more impressive.
Throughout his career, he has been one of the planet’s most commercially profitable sportspeople. LeBron isn’t a typical athlete, but a businessman and money-making machine as well.
Nike’s symbol of greatness
At 18, the largest footwear companies were knocking on his door. With Adidas, Reebok, and Nike to choose from, LeBron chose the latter, despite their offer not being the biggest of the three, as he associated them with greatness.
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Nike is probably the best-known brand that he has worked with over a prolonged period of time, and he currently wears his 18th signature shoe.
A major shareholder in a lot of companies
LeBron has had endorsement deals with AT&T, Pepsi, and Calm, but he also owns big shares in a number of companies that have helped him on his way towards becoming a billionaire.
Fenway Sports Group
James and long-term business partner Maverick Carter are now co-owners in the Boston Red Sox and have shares in Liverpool FC as well.
SpringHill Entertainment: The film industry
SpringHill Entertainment is another that LeBron owns, and it’s his gateway into the film industry. The company has produced shows as well, and the upcoming film ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’, in which James stars.
Uninterrupted: A communications company
Laura Ingraham’s “shut up and dribble” remark on Fox News made James realize that he wants to control his own media. Uninterrupted allows athletes to tell their own stories, having started as short social media videos. Their “More Than an Athlete” slogan says a lot.
Pizza Blaze
James got into the world of food in 2012 by investing in Pizza Blade.
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Ladder
Perhaps the least known of his investments, but James and Mike Mancias created Ladder together, which is a sports nutrition company. They are also associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Beats by Dre
This investment came a long time ago, and James was described by ESPN as having received “the largest cash payment in history for a professional athlete” when he earned 30 million dollars from the company’s sale to Apple.