Nike’s been sitting comfortably on its empire for decades, lacing up greatness while the rest just tried to catch up. But who better than Tom Brady to tell them that there’s no impregnable kingdom? He’s the man who literally walked out of the breaking Patriots dynasty. So, the giants better watch their backs.

In walks Mike Repole, billionaire beverage wizard turned disruptor-in-chief, and now he’s building a sneaker brand with one goal: bother Nike enough to break a sweat. And his not-so-secret weapon? Tom Brady. Back in January 2024, Brady merged his TB12 and Brady apparel brands with NoBull, a performance training brand with CrossFit roots. The move flew mostly under the radar. Just another retired GOAT doing a branding deal, right? Wrong. This wasn’t a vanity play. This was chess.

Repole’s the guy who built BodyArmor and Vitamin Water, then flipped them for billions. That’s not all. He turned 50 Cent and Kobe Bryant into cultural business case studies. BodyArmor took aim at Gatorade with Kobe Bryant in a similar role. Now, Repole’s next play might be his boldest yet—taking on Nike itself with NoBull. In 2023, his private equity firm acquired a majority stake in the brand, and his first move was classic Repole: bring in Tom Brady, who’s now the second-largest equity holder.

So, you can understand when he said, “By 2035, NoBull will be bigger than Nike. You know what? I’m gonna die trying,” that seems like a PLAN with Brady deep in the war room.

“Tom probably didn’t know what EBITDA was—now he does. Revenue, net revenue, valuations… he knows about all that,” Mike said it on the Next Up with Adam Breneman podcast. He sees in Brady what he once saw in Kobe and 50. An obsessive, greatness-driven mind who cares about the arch and the width of a sneaker more than most founders.

With NoBull, they’re not aiming to match Nike’s current 14.1% market share. They don’t need to. As Repole puts it, “You don’t have to beat Nike. You just have to bother them enough to force their hand.” He’s done it before. He’ll do it again. So don’t be shocked if in five years the headline reads: Nike buys NoBull in a multi-billion dollar deal.

Tom Brady: The secret weapon with a billionaire-mindset

Picture this: the guy who once dissected defenses in crunch time is now deep in sneaker blueprints, nitpicking arch support and asking why something costs nine cents instead of seven. Seriously. “He’s asking questions I don’t even ask,” Mike Repole said. Tom Brady’s jumped headfirst into the business world, not as a mascot, but as the guy obsessing over details most CEOs overlook.

“He wants to inspire others through action,” Repole said. That line? It’s more than a quote. It’s a business philosophy. And if you’ve watched Brady scream at teammates on the sidelines mid-game, you already know: he’s wired for more. NoBull isn’t a vanity project—it’s another shot at legacy.

Meanwhile, Repole’s not mincing words. “NoBull will make Tom Brady a billionaire.” The plan is loud and clear. Build the next billion-dollar brand in sports and wellness. And let’s be real, with Brady’s face on it, they don’t need to beat Nike. They just need to annoy them enough to matter because that’s how you force a giant to flinch.

So, what’s Brady really bringing? His entire fanbase, for starters. Seven Super Bowl wins don’t just go away. His TB12 and Brady Brand merge into NoBull, gives the company instant credibility. That’s not a sponsorship. That’s a merger of reputations. It puts him in the financial driver’s seat, and trust me—he’s not just riding shotgun. From performance gear to IPO dreams, Brady’s role is baked in every phase.