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Michael Jordan Once Busted a Local Grocery Store for $8.9 Million: “It’s MY Name and I Worked Hard for It”

Published 01/02/2022, 8:30 AM EST

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Michael Jordan won six championships with Chicago Bulls and has etched his name into the NBA history books. He is an NBA legend and one of the greatest sportspersons of all time. However, not just in the NBA, Jordan has been very successful off the court as well. He is now a brand worth billions.

According to CelebrityNetWorth, Jordan‘s net worth is $2.2 billion. His global reach has allowed him to expand his business and brand. Jordan also owns an NBA team and a NASCAR team.

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In fact, he is one of the top billionaires in the sports industry and has the highest net worth among athletes in the world. However, once a local grocery chain used his name without permission. That led to a lawsuit that cost them millions.

Michael Jordan sued a local grocery chain for millions for using his name without permission

Jordan has been a well-known name even after his retirement for the third time in 2003. However, a grocery chain known as Dominick’s used Jordan’s name in their ad in 2009. Dominick’s were owned by Safeway at that time. Jordan filed a lawsuit against the store that year. However, the trial ended in 2015 and the jury asked Safeway to pay $8.9 million to Jordan.

“I’m so used to playing on a different court,” Jordan told reporters outside the court in 2015.

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“This shows I will protect my name to the fullest. … It’s my name, and I worked hard for it … and I’m not just going to let someone take it.”

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Dominick’s decided to use Jordan’s name in an ad for a $2 steak coupon in 2009. That turned out to be a poor business decision and Safeway had to pay millions to Jordan. Safeway had earlier argued that the superstar should not be paid more than $126,900 for the unauthorized use of his name.

However, Jordan’s lawyers built a strong case and won it in six years. Jordan later added that the lawsuit was not about the monetary reason. The basketball legend stated that he would donate the money procured from damages to charitable causes.

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Written by:

Abhishek Singh

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Abhishek is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of journalistic experience with Chase Your Sport and Dribl. A Football Management graduate, he has previously interned in the Indian Super League, I-League and the AFC Champions League. In addition to being a Michael Jordan fan, Abhishek is an ardent Steph Curry and Warriors guy, and believes they have a few more championships in store before the former retires.
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