Michael Jordan is the six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls who turned a sneaker deal into one of the largest fortunes ever built by an athlete. Forbes estimated his net worth at $4.7B on Oct. 27, 2026, in its real-time billionaires tracker, the most recent dated Michael Jordan net worth figure from a major publication.
Where it stands: Jordan’s newest business headline came from motorsports. On December 11, 2025, NASCAR settled the antitrust lawsuit brought by his 23XI Racing team and Front Row Motorsports, agreeing to make team charters permanent, the Associated Press reported. Forbes last updated its written profile of him on September 15, 2026.
| Quick facts | Michael Jordan |
|---|---|
| Known for | Six NBA titles, five MVP awards, Air Jordan |
| Age | 63, per Forbes |
| Business interests | Nike royalties, Hornets minority stake, 23XI Racing, DraftKings |
| Career NBA salary | $90 million, per Forbes |
| Latest estimate | $4.7B on Oct. 27, 2026 (Forbes real-time) |
Who is Michael Jordan?
Jordan is a retired basketball player widely ranked as the best of all time, and now a sports team owner and investor. The 2016 White House announcement awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom summed up his playing record: six championships, five Most Valuable Player awards and 14 All-Star appearances.
What makes his finances unusual is the gap between his playing pay and his wealth. Forbes says his NBA salary totaled $90 million across a 15-year career, and that he was the league’s best-paid player in only two of those seasons.
The Nike deal behind Air Jordan
The best-documented piece of Jordan’s income is his Nike deal. Forbes reports that his first Nike contract, signed in 1984, paid $500,000 a year plus royalties. A royalty is a payment tied to sales, here of products carrying his name.
That royalty is what keeps paying. According to Forbes, “Nike now pays nearly $300 million per year.” Neither Nike nor Jordan has disclosed the payments in any source we reviewed, so that annual figure is Forbes’ estimate rather than a reported contract term. Forbes also credits deals with Hanes and Gatorade for helping him earn ten figures from corporate partners over his life.
It is worth separating two ideas here. Royalties and endorsement fees are income, money arriving each year. Net worth, by contrast, is a snapshot: his assets minus his debts on a given day. A steady royalty stream raises net worth only to the extent it is saved or invested.
Owning the Charlotte Hornets, then selling control
The best-documented deal of Jordan’s business life is the sale of his NBA team. He agreed in June 2023 (on June 16, per the AP) to sell majority control of the Charlotte Hornets, and the NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall the following month, the Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the decision.
- Price: reportedly around $3 billion, a figure the AP attributed to ESPN. That is a value for the whole team, not the amount Jordan received.
- His remaining role: Jordan stayed on as a minority owner, the AP said, and Forbes describes him as having “reportedly retained a minority stake.”
- On the court: the team went 423-600 during his 13 years as majority owner, the AP noted.
Forbes still lists the Hornets alongside endorsements as his sources of wealth.
NASCAR, DraftKings and other investments
Jordan became a NASCAR team co-owner in 2020, Forbes says, the same year he joined DraftKings as an investor and special adviser to its board.
The NASCAR team led him into court. His 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports sued after declining to sign the charter agreements NASCAR offered in September 2024. Their case accused NASCAR of acting as a monopolist, according to the AP report; those were the teams’ claims, not findings. The case settled on the ninth day of trial, with NASCAR agreeing to make charters permanent for all Cup Series teams.
The financial terms were not disclosed. An economist had testified for the teams that they were owed over $300 million in damages, but that was a trial claim, not a payout. Afterward, NASCAR and the two teams issued a joint statement that said all parties shared “a deep love for the sport.” Jordan’s own comment outside the courthouse was brief: “Today’s a good day.”
Michael Jordan net worth: reading the Forbes number
Forbes’ real-time tracker, which updates as the market value of public holdings shifts, is the only current, dated estimate for Jordan from the publications we rely on. On Oct. 27, 2026, it read $4.7B.
The figure rests on judgments Forbes makes itself. Private assets such as a minority Hornets stake, a share of a racing team and future Nike royalties do not trade daily, so Forbes values them using its own methods. Because Nike’s payments to Jordan are not public, any estimate of his royalty income is also Forbes’ work rather than a disclosure.
A useful comparison sits in the same sport. When Forbes added LeBron James to its billionaire ranks in 2022, it noted that Jordan was the only other basketball billionaire on its list. Read our profile of how LeBron James reached billionaire status while still playing, and see how Forbes’ approach differs for Tom Brady, who has no published estimate.
Forbes gives Jordan a self-made score of 8, one of the data points on his profile alongside his sources of wealth: the Hornets and endorsements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Michael Jordan a billionaire?
Yes, according to Forbes. Its real-time tracker valued his fortune at $4.7B on Oct. 27, 2026. When Forbes named LeBron James a billionaire in 2022, it noted Jordan was the only other basketball billionaire on its list.
How much did Michael Jordan make playing basketball?
Forbes says his NBA salary over his career totaled $90 million, and that he was the league’s highest-paid player in only two seasons. Most of his wealth came later, from Nike and other sponsors and from owning the Hornets.
How much does Nike pay Michael Jordan?
Forbes reports that his first Nike deal in 1984 paid $500,000 a year plus royalties, and that Nike now pays him nearly $300 million a year. The payments have not been disclosed, so treat the current figure as Forbes’ estimate.
Does Michael Jordan still own the Charlotte Hornets?
Not a controlling stake. He sold majority control in 2023 to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, and the AP reported he would remain a minority owner. The price was reported at around $3 billion.
How old is Michael Jordan?
Forbes lists his age as 63.
Sources
- Michael Jordan (profile) — Forbes, real-time figure as of October 27, 2026; profile updated September 15, 2026
- President Obama Names Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom — The White House (archived), November 16, 2016
- NBA Board of Governors approves Michael Jordan’s sale of the Charlotte Hornets, AP source says — Associated Press (via KPLC), July 24, 2023
- NASCAR settles federal antitrust case filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — Associated Press (via NBC Sports), December 11, 2025
- LeBron James becomes NBA’s first active player worth $1 billion, Forbes reports — ABC7 Los Angeles, June 2, 2022
Net worth figures are estimates published by the outlets named, on the dates shown. They are not disclosed by the people profiled, they move with markets and private valuations, and different publications reach different numbers. Net Worth Rankings is not affiliated with anyone profiled here.