{"id":16459,"date":"2018-11-04T09:07:12","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T15:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=16459"},"modified":"2018-11-04T09:07:12","modified_gmt":"2018-11-04T15:07:12","slug":"michael-jordan-enters-esports-invests-in-team-liquids-parent-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=16459","title":{"rendered":"Michael Jordan Enters Esports, Invests In Team Liquid’s Parent Company"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Esports is reuniting the Dream Team.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Basketball legend Michael Jordan has invested in Team Liquid, one of the earliest and popular esports ventures in the USA. The NBA legend is one of the two new investors who provided $26 million to, aXiomatic, which owns Team Liquid.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Team Liquid, which was <\/strong>aXiomatic in 2016, boasts of more than 60 competitive gamers based out of Los Angeles and the Netherlands<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to expand my sports equity portfolio through my investment in aXiomatic, esports is a fast-growing, international industry and I\u2019m glad to partner with this great group of investors,\u201d said Jordan, who joined his fellow Dream Team teammate Magic Johnson as an aXiomatic investor, as is Ted Leonsis, owner of the NBA\u2019s Washington Wizards as well as the NHL\u2019s Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe next generation of sports fans are esports fans,\u201d Leonsis told ESPN in a statement. \u201cEsports is the fastest-growing sector in sports and entertainment, and aXiomatic is at the forefront of that growth.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Team Liquid’s parent company, aXiomatic, announced Thursday it raised $26 million in a Series C funding round. Two new investors join the ownership group: NBA legend and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan and David Rubenstein’s family office, Declaration Capital.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The rest of the fund is made up of capital from existing investors, as well as aXiomatic’s four co-executive chairmen\u2014Golden State Warriors’ co-owner Peter Guber, Oaktree Capital Management <\/strong>cofounder Bruce Karsh, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik.<\/strong><\/p>\n

David Rubenstein is the <\/strong>cofounder and executive co-chairman of private equity firm Carlyle Group. Rubenstein, whose has a net worth of $2.8 billion, is investing <\/strong>into aXiomatic through his family office, Declaration Capital.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Jordan is considered by many the greatest NBA player of all time, winning six championships in his career. With brand deals with Nike, Hanes <\/strong>and Gatorade and his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets\u2014a franchise worth $1.05 billion\u2014Michael Jordan has a net worth of $1.7 billion. This is Jordan’s first investment into the esports industry, and he joins his 1992 Olympic teammate Magic Johnson as a co-owner in aXiomatic.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Probably no other franchise has the championship pedigree as we do with now Michael and with Magic,” says Ted Leonsis, whose own Washington Capitals earned its first Stanley Cup victory earlier this year. He notes he received a championship ring for both the Capitals’ victory, as well as Team Liquid’s Dota 2<\/em> championship at The International 2017, which netted the team $11 million in prize money.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ALSO,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Jordan invests millions in Friends of the Children nonprofit to help break <\/strong>poverty cycle<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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A week after investing in Esports startup aXiomatic<\/a><\/span>, Michael Jordan is making another sizable investment, this time in the nonprofit sector. The NBA<\/a> legend announced on Thursday that he’s giving millions to “Friends of the Children.,” whose national mission is to “break the cycle of generational poverty.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jordan’s investment helped Friends of the Children reach its $25 million fundraising goal. The Portland Business Journal has a statement from Jordan himself about what drew him to the organization.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

“What stood out to me about Friends of the Children was that they employ and train their mentors and that they commit to every child for 12-and-a-half years,” Jordan said, per The Journal<\/em>. “That dedication is important to me. My mentors believed in me and taught me the power of perseverance. I want youth in Friends of the Children to see that they have that same potential.”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"It’s not Jordan’s first time helping out the organization. Last spring he donated the money he made from selling a Bulls commemorative jersey, which sold out. This donation comes from his proceeds from the ESPN and Netflix documentary series “The Last Dance.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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