It’s been 23 years since Michael Jordan stepped off the court for good. But even though he wasn’t playing the game, thanks to his ties to the sport and his legendary Nike sneakers, he didn’t quite leave basketball. And even though he now has his fingers in other pies, including NASCAR, the NBA legend is still making most of his money from his Air Jordan deal. But who would have believed he would still be the highest-paid athlete in 2026?
A new report by Sportico reveals the latest numbers – including Jordan’s lifetime earnings at $3.28 billion (or $4.5 billion when adjusted for inflation). In second place is Tiger Woods, who trails by quite a lot, with $1.97 billion. The list also includes Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, David Beckham and even Floyd Mayweather. But none of them are even remotely close to how much Jordan has earned.
And it’s all thanks to Jordan Brand. In 2025, Michael Jordan apparently made $250 million from the sneaker brand alone. The brand made $7.3 billion in revenue during Nike’s fiscal year ending May 2025. So paying him that $250 million is but a small percentage of their earnings. But it’s also 70 times more than the average signature sneaker line.
What’s crazy is that when Nike signed Jordan in 1984, they weren’t on the top like they are today. Adidas and Coverse were far bigger, thanks to their collabs with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Julius Erving. As seen in the movie Air, at the time, Nike took a huge gamble signing Jordan to a five-year deal worth $500,000 a year, plus a cut of sales. In just 12 months, Air Jordans brought in over $100 million. So it was a win-win for everyone. And the birth of sneaker culture as we know it today.
In 2026, Michael Jordan’s Jordan sneaker line continues to sell out in stores within seconds of dropping. And even when there were reports that sneaker culture was dying, Jordan Brand dropped more achived releases to win back the fanbase.
Other NBA stars are still chasing that level. LeBron James sits at $1.62 billion in career earnings, Stephen Curry just cracked the top 20, and even the late Kobe Bryant ranks at 17 with $755 million.
Then, Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team started the 2026 NASCAR season with four big wins in the six races led by Tyler Reddick.
Jordan also has stakes in brands like Cincoro Tequila, DraftKings and Sportradar.
But it all comes back to the sneakers. That’s how he still makes his money. It’s the reason why Michael Jordan remains the richest athlete of all time. That 1984 deal between Michael Jordan and Nike (thanks to his mom’s advice at the time) still pays out. Thanks, Deloris Jordan!
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