It's official: National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Michael Jordan is the world's wealthiest athlete, with a $3 billion (£2.5bn) fortune to prove it. 

Jordan recently became the first ever sports star to feature on the highly prestigious Forbes 400 list of America's richest individuals. But what may surprise you is how much of his wealth he accumulated away from the basketball court. 

Read on to discover the unexpected ways Michael Jordan has made his money – and the lavish items he likes to spend it on. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest NBA star of all time. He played for the Chicago Bulls between 1984 and 1998, winning six NBA championship titles. He also won gold medals in two editions of the Summer Olympics during this time.

He later joined the Washington Wizards in 2001 before announcing his official retirement from the game in 2003.

Forbes reports that the MVP's salary during his illustrious basketball career amounted to $90 million (£74m). While undoubtedly impressive, it's a drop in the ocean compared to the billions he’s worth today...

The sporting legend has made most of his money off the basketball court thanks to a slew of endorsements and smart sponsorship deals with renowned brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's.

One standout among these was the decade-long agreement with Gatorade that Jordan inked in 1991, which saw him rake in around $1.4 million (£1m) every year. According to Forbes, Jordan has made a grand total of $2.4 billion (£2bn) pre-tax courtesy of his juicy endorsement portfolio.

Jordan's biggest money-spinning endorsement deal is undoubtedly his decade-spanning partnership with Nike. Even 20 years after his retirement from basketball, he still rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars annually from licensing his name to Nike's Jordan Brand and the iconic Air Jordan shoe line.

Nike has made more than $2 billion (£1.6bn) in sales from its Jordan brand every year since 2018, with the NBA icon receiving a 5% royalty on each purchase.

In the 2022 financial year, sales of Nike's Jordan Brand hit $5.1 billion (£4bn) in revenue, with reports suggesting Jordan made a staggering $256 million (£211m) as a result.

Before signing on the dotted line with Nike in 1984, Jordan admitted that he'd never worn a pair of shoes by the brand.

In an interview with USA Today, Jordan also revealed his parents convinced him to consider the life-changing deal, explaining: "I was a big Adidas and Converse guy coming out of college. Then, actually, my parents made me go out to Nike's headquarters to hear their proposal."

From the basketball court to the cinema: Jordan slam-dunked his way to silver screen success with his starring role in the 1996 blockbuster Space Jam (pictured).

The movie made an incredible $230 million (£190m) at the worldwide box office, with Jordan banking around $20 million (£16m) for playing a fictional version of himself.

Jordan has also made money from the small screen. In 2020 ESPN and Netflix co-produced a 10-part miniseries called The Last Dance, chronicling "the rise of superstar Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls". More than six million people tuned in to watch the first two parts when they aired on TV, with many more watching the miniseries when it became available on Netflix that July.

According to Forbes, Jordan was paid up to $4 million (£3.3m) for his involvement with The Last Dance, which takes its name from how Jordan described the 1997–98 NBA season.

Another revenue source for Jordan is memorabilia sales. For instance, the sneakers he sported during his iconic "flu game" in the 1997 NBA Finals – which he played while suffering from flu-like symptoms – fetched $104,765 (£86k) at a 2013 auction.

More recently, the jersey Jordan wore in the 1998 NBA Finals (pictured) sold for $10.1 million (£8.3m) in 2022, becoming the most expensive game-worn item of sports memorabilia in history.

In 1993, as part of his transition from basketball star to businessman, Jordan founded the Michael Jordan Steak House chain, which currently boasts locations in Chicago, Connecticut, and Washington.

And that's not his only taste of the foodie world: he co-founded the swanky 1000 North restaurant in Jupiter, South Florida (pictured), in 2018. Situated within the Jupiter Harbour Marina, this luxurious dining establishment can be accessed by both land and sea thanks to its 350-foot dock.

As if being an NBA champ, movie star, and restaurateur weren't impressive enough, Jordan is also the co-founder of the high-end tequila brand Cincoro Tequila (pictured). 

The company was established in 2019, with CEO Emilia Fazzalari reporting in 2021 that year-on-year sales of the spirit had trebled, marking yet another successful moment in Jordan's business career. In 2022, the company launched a new tequila product aimed at the luxury market, with bottles costing $350 (£289) a pop.

Michael Jordan is also a savvy investor. He joined sports betting firm DraftKings as a special advisor in 2020, receiving an equity stake in return.

The following year, he was also part of a group of wealthy individuals who injected $305 million (£250m) of funding into Dapper Labs, the company behind the online trading card marketplace NBA Top Shot.

But the game-changing business move that put Jordan on the Forbes 400 list occurred this summer when he sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets NBA team.

The juggernaut deal saw the sports franchise valued at a staggering $3 billion (£2.5bn).

Now let's dive into how Jordan spends his fortune...

Jordan has lived in this sprawling mansion in Jupiter, Florida (pictured), for more than a decade. According to Business Insider, he purchased the land on which the property would later be built for $4.8 million (£4m), with the construction of the luxe abode costing a further $7.6 million (£6.3m). 

The property spans over 28,000 square feet and reportedly boasts 11 bedrooms and bathrooms, a cigar room, a media room, an on-site guest house, an outdoor swimming pool, and a pool house. And of course, there's also a full-size basketball court.

But this isn't Jordan's only plush pad...

Jordan's property portfolio also includes two homes in North Carolina. The first is a $2.8 million (£2.3m) house on Lake Norman, which he acquired in 2013. The serene residence features six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and a private lakefront dock. The second is a luxurious condo in downtown Charlotte, offering 360-degree city views.

His Utah holiday home (pictured) in the upscale ski town of Park City hit the market back in 2019 and was listed for a hefty $7.5 million (£6.2m). The enviable pad boasted an infinity pool, private theatre, and an indoor golf room on its property listing. It's not clear whether Jordan has sold it yet. 

As one would expect, the billionaire sports star is also partial to travelling in style, purchasing his very own Gulfstream G550 jet for a whopping $61.5 million (£50.8m) in 2016.

The luxurious aircraft (pictured) can accommodate 19 passengers, and Jordan has spared no expense in customising it with a bar and cigar station.

But this isn't his only mode of swanky transportation...

Jordan has also splurged on superyachts, with his first vessel, the oddly named Mr. Terrible, said to have set him back $21 million (£17m).

He's also been linked with an $80 million (£66m) yacht named Joy. This seems a more fitting name, considering the impressive five-deck boat features an indoor jacuzzi, movie theatre, spa, and basketball court.

And that's not even the best of it: Joy also boasts an owner's pavilion that comes complete with a penthouse suite, office, and private terrace with jaw-dropping ocean views.

Unsurprisingly, Jordan also has an enviable fleet of swish supercars at his disposal. 

Over the decades, his impressive collection has included the likes of a Chevrolet Corvette C4, a Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolet, an Aston Martin, a McLaren-Mercedes SLR 722, and a Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir.

Golf is one of Jordan's favourite hobbies. In 2019, he built his very own private golf course in Florida, naming it Grove XXIII.

His ultra-exclusive golf club operates on an invite-only basis, with only a select few having had the privilege of laying eyes on the course, let alone playing on it. Nicknamed "Slaughterhouse 23", Jordan designed it to suit his unique playing style when competing against opponents.

The seriously high-end golf course even features a cutting-edge drone delivery service that brings beer and snacks to the club's members while they play.

While Jordan undeniably enjoys spending on himself, he's also renowned for his philanthropic endeavours.

Earlier this year, he made a record-breaking donation of $10 million (£8.3m) to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, marking the largest individual contribution in the charity's 43-year history. According to reports, Jordan's incredible gift to the organisation was in honour of his 60th birthday, which he celebrated in February. 

Meanwhile, he donated the $4 million (£3.3m) he earned from The Last Dance to various charities, including a $2 million (£1.6m) donation to food banks in Chicago and the Carolinas.

Most notably, 2020 saw Jordan and Nike's Jordan Brand announce they would be donating $100 million (£82.6m) over the next decade to charities that were fighting for "racial quality, social justice, and greater access to education".

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