That’s Bron with a “B”

LeBron James is the first-ever NBA athlete to become a billionaire before his playing days are over, according to a new report from Forbes.

💰 Let’s break it down… LeBron is currently the highest-paid player in the league, and has earned more than $385 million total from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and LA Lakers.

• Off the court, he’s collected upwards of $900 million in income from endorsements and other business ventures, often structuring deals to give him equity in brands he partners with (like Lyft, Tonal, and Blaze Pizza).
• Roughly ¼ of LeBron’s net worth ($300 million) comes from his stake in SpringHill, the TV and movie production company he started alongside his business partner, Maverick Carter. Last October, outside investors including Epic Games and the group that owns the Boston Red Sox bought into the venture at a $725 million valuation.

📝 Zoom out: While net-worth lists are notoriously unreliable, most of them have Michael Jordan and Vince McMahon as the only other US athletes with net worths currently above $1 billion.

• PSG forward Lionel Messi topped Forbes’ 2022 list of Highest-Earning Athletes, collecting a total of $130 million.