KOBE Bryant turned the millions he made during his years with the Los Angeles Lakers into over a billion dollars after retiring from the sport.
He did this through endorsement deals, branching out with a variety of media projects and above all else by founding a venture capital firm that currently has assets of over $2 billion.
@kobebryant
Kobe’s billion-dollar fortune will likely go to his wife Vanessa and their three surviving daughters after he lost his life in a helicopter crash in January,
That crash also claimed the life of his daughter Gianna and seven others, and is still under investigation by the National Transportation and Safety Board.
Chartering helicopters was one of the few expensive habits Kobe had during his lifetime, as was his collection of cars.
Kobe owned a custom Lamborghini Murcielago that was fitted with an automatic transmission for wife Vanessa ($400,000), a Bentley Continental ($200,000) and an Azure Mulliner ($350,000), a Ferrari F430($200,000) and a 458 Italia ($329,000), a Lamborghini Aventador ($445,000), 1963 Chevy Impala that was a gift from Vanessa, and, as a retirement gift from his friend Snoop Dogg, a purple-and-yellow (and priceless) Pontiac Parisienne Convertible.
He also owned a few family-friendly cars as well over the years, including a Cadillac Escalade, Range Rover and a Jeep Wrangler.
One thing he did not own in bulk however was real estate.
He lived with his wife Vanessa and their children in a home he had purchased in 2008 from his agent for $9.45 million, selling off two other properties in the same Newport Beach neighborhood over the past decade at a profit.
The only other real estate he owned at the time of his death was the office space for his businesses, which he bought for $5.8 million in 2015.
He chose instead to invest and save his money, which is why two years after Forbes valued his net worth at $800 million, Kobe passed away as one of just seven athletes to be worth a billion dollars.
The other six men in that rarefied club are Michael Jordan ($1.85 billion), Tiger Woods ($1.7 billion), Arnold Palmer ($1.3 billion), Jack Nickalus ($1.2 billion) Floyd Mayweather ($1.1 billion) and Michael Schumacer ($1 billion).
Kobe was the youngest draft pick to ever play in the NBA at the start of the 1996 season, which began just two months after the high school phenom turned 18.
Over the course of the next 20 years, he would just over $325 million in salary alone, negotiating a seven-season, $136 million contract in 2004 that was followed by even more lucrative extensions.
He led the team to five championships during this time, and at his peak earned $30 million for the 2013-14 season.
Only Kevin Durant has earned more than Kobe, though should Lebron James play one more season he too would pass the Black Mamba.
Kobe saved his most impressive move for his post-NBA years however, when he founded the venture capital firm Bryant Stibel.
In just four years, that firm has come to manage over $2 billion in assets after backing a number of impressive companies.
Kobe launched the company with just $100 million and then watched as the money came pouring in thanks to investments in burgeoning startups including Alibaba, Dell, The Honest Company and Epic Games.
It was Epic that proved to be the most lucrative, delivering a Fortnite fortune for the firm when they were offered the chance to invest in one of the final rounds of financing before the company went public.
This was no vanity project either for Kobe, who matched his co-workers MBAs with all he learned in the NBA.
During his time with the Lakers, Kobe was making just as much off the course during this time, due to his endorsement deals with a hoist of blue-chip American brands.
Sony, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz and Nintendo were just a few of the companies that teamed up with Kobe, but it was his deal Nike that made him a global phenomenon.
It comes as as surprise however that Kobe made far less in his deal with Nike than other top athletes who had contracts with the athletic apparel juggernaut.
His annual contract with the company earned him $8 million, which ranked him behind tennis stars Roger Federer ($10 million) and Rafael Nadal ($10 million), golfers Tiger Woods ($10 million) and Rory McIlroy ($25 million), as well as fellow NBA stars Durant ($8.5 million) and LeBron James ($12.5 million).
Maria Sharapova also took home more than Kobe ($8.75 million) while Serena Williams, arguably the greatest player of all time, matched Kobe with her deal ($8 million).
Serena was able to negotiate a higher rate with each contract extension after her initial deal had run its course, something that Kobe seldom did over the course of his career.
It is not known for certain why this was the case, but it could have had something to do with the fallout her suffered after he was accused of raping a Colorado woman.
The criminal case against him was ultimately dropped and Kobe made a very public apology with his wife Vanessa by his side.
He settled a civil suit with the woman, and Vanessa received an 8-karat, purple diamond ring worth $4 million.
Nike, who had signed Kobe just days before Kobe was accused of sexual assault, stood by him, but one brand quickly jumped ship,.
McDonald’s terminated their contract with Kobe after just three years, having brought him onboard to help launch the campaign for their now infamous slogan: “I’m loving it.”
This turned out to be for the best in the end however, steering Kobe towards deals where he could hold an equity stake in a company rather than just take home a paycheck.
It was with this in mind that he became one of the largest backers of BodyArmor in 2014, and a member of the company’s Board of Directors.
His investment in the brand paid off big in the end, with his $6 million investment in BodyArmor resulting in a $200 million windfall for the third-largest shareholder when Coca Cola bought a minority stake in the company.
The basketball star purchased his 10 percent stake in BodyArmor through his newly formed company at the time, Kobe Inc.
He was not doubt looking to the future, especially since he was off the court and on the bench for the first 10 months of that year as he healed from a lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee.
“There is finality to my career and now is time to put those plans into motion,” Kobe told Forbes at the time.
He then explained how his career had helped prepare him for this next step, despite the fact that he skipped college ton enter the draft.
“I learned not to have ownership in something that you are not going to be able to oversee and manage,” explained Kobe.
“You need to delegate, but ultimately it must be your vision that is driving things.”
The $200 million from his investment in BodyArmor, combined with the $325 million he made as a Laker and the $350 million he took pocketed from endorsement deals, put his fortune at $860 million by 2018.
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The late Kobe Bryant’s estate to receive at least an estimated $560 million, following the sale of sports drink company Bodyarmor to Coca Cola
In the year 2014, Los Angeles Lakers superstar and Hall of Fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant invested $6 million in a sports drink company by the name of Bodyarmor. Today, it was announced that Coca-Cola has come to an agreement to acquire full ownership of the company for $5.6 billion. What’s most fascinating about the entire deal between Bodyarmor and Coca-Cola is the fact that Bryant’s initial $6 million investment will now be worth over $400 million after the sale. The profit will of course be received by Kobe’s estate.
Over the course of his entire NBA career, it has been reported that Kobe Bryant went on to make an estimated $323 million as a player in the NBA. Bryant spent 20-years playing in the NBA, all of them with the historic Los Angeles Lakers. He was also a major figure off the court, with a number of sponsorships including notable companies such as Nike and Sprite. What’s even more impressive about the recent deal between Bodyarmor and Coca-Cola is the return on investment that Bryant will receive. In one transaction, the Bryant estate is expected to return in more money than Kobe received over the course of his entire career on the NBA floor. Including indorsements, Forbes had reported that Bryant had gone on to make around $680 million during his time in the NBA.
Back in 2013, Kobe Bryant went on to invest his faith in the potential of the Bodyarmor company. After Coca-Cola bought a 15% stake in the company in 2018, they had become the second-largest shareholder. Bryant was right behind them, as he was the third-largest shareholder, just two years after its founding. In 2014 Bryant had announced his involvement with the company Bodyarmor. Forbes even went on to quote Kobe Bryant:
“The model has always been for entertainers to get sweat equity, but I wanted to progress beyond that.”
With the latest deal, it’s been reported that Bodyarm has surpassed Coke’s Powerade to become the second-largest player in the sports drink category. Coca-Cola also announced that the sports drink brand’s retail sales are expected to be up 50% this year.
The Bodyarmor company has seen a number of notable professional athletes invest in the brand alongside Kobe Bryant. These individuals have included James Harden, Mike Trout, Rob Gronkowski, and Skylar Diggins-Smith. BodyArmor co-founder Mike Repole had some kind words when talking about the faith that Kobe Bryant specifically had invested in the company, stating that this day wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the Lakers superstar.
“If it wasn’t for Kobe Bryant’s vision and belief, BodyArmor would not have been able to achieve the success we had,” Repole, who also developed Fuze Beverage and Smartwater, said in a statement.
This January will make it two years since the shocking death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and nine others who were killed in a hellicopter crash. The world continues to mourn that cloudy day, but the recent news has continued to shine some light that Bryant was always looking out to create the best possible future for his family.
With Bodyarmor’s Sale to Coca-Cola, Kobe Bryant’s Estate Will See Estimated $560M
Bryant first became a shareholder in sports drink maker Bodyarmor in 2013.
Coca-Cola announced Monday it had bought full control of sports-drink startup Bodyarmor for $5.6 billion, CNBC reports, netting the estate of late basketball legend Kobe Bryant an estimated $400 million on the sale.
The NBA star, who died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020, invested in Bodyarmor in 2014 for a 10% stake in the company and joined its board of directors. At the time, Bryant was the company’s third-largest shareholder.
“I put my skin in the game,” Bryant told Forbes in 2014, after his hefty investment.
In a tribute to Bryant, Coke announced its purchase at exactly 8:24 a.m. to commemorate the two jersey numbers the Los Angeles Lakers star wore during his NBA tenure.
Coke originally bought a 15% stake in Bodyarmor in 2018 and became its second-largest shareholder. Monday’s move to purchase the remaining 85% marks Coke’s largest acquisition in the company’s history.
BodyArmor was co-founded in 2011 by Mike Repole, who just four years earlier had sold his previous company, Glacéau, for $4.1 billion — also to Coke. Glacéau is the maker of SmartWater and VitaminWater.
The deal has been in the works since at least February, based on a pre-acquisition filing with the Federal Trade Commission, CNBC reports.
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#33 Kobe Bryant
Deceased
2016 America’s Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40 NET WORTH
Net worth over time
December 2016
Bryant’s estate, which Forbes reported to be worth up to $600 million at the time of his death and is now controlled by his widow Vanessa Bryant, will see a roughly $560 million payoff from the deal, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Bryant showed business prowess after his 2016 retirement from the NBA, with dealings in a variety of sectors that included “a media production company and a venture capital fund to invest in tech, media and data companies,” NBC News reported in 2020.
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Kobe Bryant’s $600 Million Fortune: How He Won On—And Off—The Court
Basketball fans around the globe continue to mourn the tragic death of NBA icon Kobe Bryant, who perished Sunday in a helicopter crash, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers. The 41-year-old Bryant leaves a rich legacy on the court for his accomplishments and a relentless drive that helped the Los Angeles Lakers win five NBA titles during his 20-year career.
Bryant was also admired for his wide-ranging business success, which made him one of the wealthiest athletes on the planet. His career on-court earnings rank second-most all-time, and he had endorsed more than 20 brands since he entered the NBA, including Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz and Hublot.
He plowed those earnings into many business ventures, including the emerging sports drink BodyArmor and small startups like Art of Sport and HouseCanary. Months after his retirement in 2016, Bryant unveiled his $100 million venture-capital fund, in a partnership with entrepreneur Jeff Stibel, to invest in media, technology and data businesses. Stibel told CNBC in September that their firm had 18 current investments, with roughly 10 exits so far. Fellow superstar athletes Peyton Manning and Steph Curry were also investors.
Bryant also published his own young adult books and became the first pro athlete to win an Academy Award, in 2018 for his animated short film Dear Basketball. Altogether, Bryant, at just 41, had amassed an estimated fortune of $600 million and established a thriving post-NBA career.
Here are some areas where Bryant had scored since he arrived in the NBA in 1996 as a skinny 17-year-old from Philadelphia.
Kobe’s Annual Earnings
Bryant’s paycheck soared with the NBA’s rising salary cap and his expanding endorsement portfolio.
Bryant had the NBA’s highest salary for six straight seasons to end his career. The combination of his Lakers salary and his endorsement deals peaked at $62 million. Nike was his most important and lucrative partner. The relationship started in 2003 under a four-year, $40 million deal that helped turn Bryant into a global superstar with soaring annual earnings.
The sportswear giant sent Bryant to China nearly every summer to promote its products. Bryant’s brand exploded in China, and he picked up China-specific endorsements with Mercedes-Benz, Alibaba and more. Nike’s Greater China revenue is now $6 billion and growing 20% annually.
Nike and Bryant’s fans celebrate Mamba Day annually on August 24, the date that combines Bryant’s two jersey numbers, 8 and 24. Nike continued the trend last summer with a series of limited-edition sneaker releases.
Career NBA Leaders In Playing Salary
The five all-time basketball greats below earned a combined $1.5 billion on the hardwood.
Bryant’s first contract with the Lakers was worth $3.5 million over three years, yet he knew early on that his salary potential was immense. He was one of only five players to vote against the NBA’s 1999 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which capped individual salaries. Bryant’s annual salary eventually topped $30 million, making him only the second NBA player at the time, after Michael Jordan, to hit that threshold.
Career Earnings
Bryant was one of the highest-paid athletes on the planet almost every year during his second decade in the NBA.
When Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, his career earnings from playing salary and endorsements totaled $680 million, more than any other team athlete in the history of sports at the time. The only athletes to top Bryant were three stars from individual sports, Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather and Michael Schumacher.
BodyArmor
Bryant established Kobe Inc. in 2013, and made its first investment in sports drink brand BodyArmor the following year. He acquired more than 10% of the company for roughly $5 million. “The model has always been for entertainers to get sweat equity, but I wanted to progress beyond that,” Bryant told Forbes at the time.
Bryant scored when Coca-Cola invested $300 million in BodyArmor in 2018 at a $2 billion valuation, pushing the value of Bryant’s stake to $200 million. BodyArmor recently became an official partner of MLS, and Bryant spoke to Forbes this month about the state of American soccer in the video below.
Net Worth
A series of blockbuster playing contracts and endorsement deals made Bryant one of the world’s richest athletes.
Bryant built his first fortune on the back of two decades of rich playing contracts and endorsement deals. His path to becoming a billionaire was going to be paved in the investment world, and his first big score, BodyArmor, represented roughly one-third of his net worth.
His VC portfolio included eco-friendly consumer products firm The Honest Company, media website The Players’ Tribune, video game designer Scopely and legal-services company LegalZoom.
In addition to building Bryant Stibel, Kobe was focused on storytelling in different mediums during his post-NBA career. In 2016, he founded a media company, Granity Studios, that published a series of books for young adults. He wrote and narrated the animated short film Dear Basketball, which won an Oscar in 2018.
Lakers Franchise Value vs. NBA Average
The value of the Lakers is up nearly 20-fold since Bryant was drafted in 1996.
Kobe wasn’t the only one to benefit from Kobe. The owners of the Lakers—the Buss family and Philip Anschutz—rank among the biggest beneficiaries of the NBA star’s popularity. The team’s 20-year, $4 billion TV deal with Time Warner in 2011 pushed annual operating profits north of $100 million. The value of the team, which was around $200 million when Bryant was drafted in 1996, is now $3.7 billion.
Kobe Bryant
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Calabasas, California
(Ardmore, Pennsylvania)
Kobe Bean Bryant (/ˈkoʊbiː/ KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
Born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy, Bryant was recognized as the top American high-school basketball player while at Lower Merion. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick; he was then traded to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and was named an All-Star by his second season. Kobe led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002.
After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O’Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers. He led the NBA in scoring in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single game in league history, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. Bryant led the team to consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, both times being named NBA Finals MVP. He continued to be among the top players in the league through the 2012–13 season, when he suffered a torn achilles tendon at age 34. Season-ending knee and shoulder injuries followed in the next two seasons. Citing physical decline, Bryant retired after the 2015–16 season.
The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, while it is the record for most consecutive appearances as a starter. Bryant’s four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. He gave himself the nickname “Black Mamba” in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by the general public. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. national team. In 2018, he won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the film Dear Basketball (2017).
Bryant died, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash at Calabasas, California in January 2020. A number of tributes and memorials were subsequently issued, including renaming the All-Star MVP Award in his honor.