In just one year, he earned over $300 million! At 62, Jordan remains a master of income generation, surpassing LeBron and Curry combined.

At 62, Michael Jordan continues to be the highest-earning athlete globally, not thanks to clutch shots or NBA Finals MVP awards, but rather through the financial empire he has established—this empire brought him more than $300 million in the past year alone.

This astounding figure is more than three times his total NBA career earnings of $93.7 million, highlighting Jordan's unique status even decades after his retirement.In comparison, Curry earned $156 million last year, while LeBron made $133.8 million, with Jordan exceeding the combined total of these two superstars.

The core of Jordan's 2024 income comes from his lifetime partnership with Nike, specifically from the "Jordan Brand". In 1984, as a rookie, he signed with Nike for a base salary of $500,000, and innovatively received a 5% royalty on every pair of "Air Jordan" sneakers sold. Today, this deal has become one of the most lucrative endorsements in sports history.

In 2023, the Jordan Brand generated approximately $7 billion in revenue for Nike. Based on his commission rate of 4%-5%, it is estimated that Jordan earned about $260 million to $280 million from Nike alone in the past year. This brings his total income above that of all active athletes globally, even surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo and Tiger Woods.

Today, the success of the Jordan Brand extends beyond basketball. It has become a global fashion powerhouse, entering the soccer world by sponsoring Paris Saint-Germain and continuously expanding into international markets. The brand has also signed NBA stars like Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum, and Zion Williamson as the next generation of ambassadors, further enhancing its influence in basketball and streetwear culture.

Jordan's investment portfolio goes beyond just sneakers and basketball. He continues to collaborate with brands like Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck, and 2K Sports, co-owns the 23XI Racing NASCAR team with Danny Hamlin, and runs a series of restaurants and a car dealership. Reports suggest these ventures could add an additional $20 million to $40 million to his income in 2024. His endorsement strategy has evolved—becoming more selective, signing fewer deals, but focusing more on ownership and long-term equity building.

Jordan even made headlines in real estate. After years on the market, he finally sold his Chicago mansion for $9.5 million, a significant drop from the original asking price of $29 million, but he ultimately managed to close the deal.

Taking inflation into account, Jordan's career total earnings exceed $4.15 billion, officially making him the highest-earning athlete in history. His current net worth is $3.5 billion, ranking him 1,045th on Forbes' 2025 Billionaires list. Although this is a decline from previous years, it is still an extraordinary achievement for someone whose last NBA game was over 20 years ago.

It’s worth noting that U.S. media calculations of Jordan's income over the past year do not include the sale of the Charlotte Hornets. In 2010, Jordan bought a majority stake in the team for $175 million; in 2023, he sold his controlling interest at a valuation of $3 billion. Even a partial sale brought in hundreds of millions in profit. Although the exact figures remain undisclosed, Sportico and Forbes estimate that Jordan earned at least $200 million to $250 million from this transaction, further solidifying his billionaire status.

What sets Jordan apart is not just that he was the best player on the court, but that he transformed "the best" into a brand and then built that brand into a commercial empire. In 2024, this business empire once again proves that Michael Jordan's legend is not only alive but thriving more than ever.