Magic Johnson Predicts Kobe Would Have Been Next in Line to Join the Billionaire Club

Magic Johnson was recently announced as the newest addition to an exclusive list. Forbes has recognized only four athletes as billionaires. Michael Jordan did it back in 2014. Since then, LeBron James and Tiger Woods have joined him in 2022. But recently, Magic Johnson became the fourth athlete on this list to reach billionaire status.

Through various investments and ownerships, Magic Johnson has now amassed a net worth of $1.2 billion. When talking about the success that he had over the past years, Magic had to give respect to his fellow Los Angeles Lakers legend, who he believes could have done the same.

Magic Johnson acknowledges Kobe Bryant

Although his investments in various companies helped propel him to this level, it was his investments in sports teams that were the main driving force in this journey.

Although Magic is not part of any organization in the NBA currently, he has taken his talents to other sports in the nation. He has an ownership stake in the Los Angeles Sparks from the WNBA and the Los Angeles Dodgers from the MLB. Both teams have won championships since his ownership. Recently, Magic also invested in the Washington Commanders and is now part of the NFL as well.

With all the moves Magic has made in recent years, he has reached the billionaire mark. But when he recently talked about the success he has achieved in his life, he wanted to point out another individual who could have done the same.

According to the LA Times, Magic recently revealed who he thinks would have been the fifth person to make the list. Magic said. “You know who would have been the fifth guy as a billionaire? Kobe Bryant.“

The Los Angeles Lakers legend has love and appreciation for Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away in 2020 at the age of 41.

Magic knew that Kobe was heading in the right direction and that he would have definitely reached billionaire status. When he passed away, he was estimated to be worth around $600 million. But over the past three years, his name and likeness have kept bringing in money.

Could Kobe still reach billionaire status?

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Kobe Bryant earned $328 million as a salary from the NBA during his playing career. He made an additional $320 million in endorsements with Nike, McDonald’s, Mercedes Benz, and many more.

In 2014, Kobe Bryant bought 10% of BodyArmor. In 2018, his $6 million investment was worth $200 million. When the company was sold in 2021, the Kobe Bryant Estate made over $400 million in this process.

In 2022, Kobe Bryant’s estate reached an agreement with Nike to continue manufacturing his shoes. Nike is still selling Kobe’s shoes and is also releasing newer versions of them. His shoes are still some of the most worn shoes in the NBA, and the demand for them has never dipped. According to Business Insider, during Kobe’s playing career, he was earning over $10 million a year from Nike. It is safe to assume that it was way more than that with the new agreement. Kobe also appears on the cover of NBA 2K. 2K announced Kobe Bryant as the cover athlete for their 25th-anniversary edition game.

Kobe had launched a venture capital fund back in 2014, called Bryant Stibel. Although it started with $100 million in funds, it currently controls $2 billion in assets. Bryant also has a production company called Garnity Studios. He wrote and directed an animated short film in 2018 called Dear Basketball, which eventually won him an Oscar award. If Kobe was still alive, it would not have been too long before he attained his billionaire status.

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Since Kobe Bryant did not have a prenuptial agreement, Vanessa Bryant is currently the heir to all the assets owned by Kobe Bryant. Following her passing, their assets would belong to their daughters.

Do you think Kobe Bryant would be the next athlete to reach this milestone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.