How much does LeBron James earn? The billionaire great is about to start what could be his last NBA season. This is how he earns and spends his cash.
It is safe to say that LeBron James is one of the best players ever.
King James has won the NBA title four times, been named league MVP four times, and been an All-Star 19 times. Additionally, he has broken almost every NBA record, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most points scored in a single season in 2023.
But after the Los Angeles Lakers lost in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, James first hinted at retirement, even though he had in the past said he wanted to play in the pros with his boys. Even though he chose to play for the purple and gold in 2023–2024, there are reasons to think that this could be the last season of his long and successful NBA career.
James, who calls himself “just a kid from Akron,” has made a good life for himself now that he has become a billionaire athlete. He has a pretty normal family life, but he has a lot of nice cars and houses, goes on great trips, and dresses to the nines.
Check out LeBron James’s amazing and sometimes surprisingly normal life.
James is one of the wealthiest athletes of all time.
Spotrac says that James has made $479.5 million in his 21 years in the NBA. His deal with the Lakers was also extended for two years and $97 million. He will get $47.6 million for the 2023–2024 season and $51.4 million the following year.
The extension has made James the highest-earning player of all time.
After this new deal ends, James will have made more money in NBA pay than any other player in the league’s history. ESPN says that his new $97.1 million deal will give him a staggering $532 million guaranteed over the course of his career.
James also gets a lot of money off the court through endorsements, on top of his NBA salary.
Sportico says that the King made the most money of any player in 2022, with $126.9 million from on and off the court. He made $36.9 million from the Lakers and another $90 million from advertising and other jobs off the court.
Forbes’ list of the highest-paid sports for 2023 put James in fourth place, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the Ballon d’Or five times, Lionel Messi, who won the World Cup, and Kylian Mbappé, a French soccer star. James had made a total of $119.5 million.
AT&T, Walmart, Intel, Kia, and other companies have backed him.
During his decades as a celebrity, LeBron has been in a lot of ads for those companies. Beats by Dre has sponsored him for a long time, and he has even given headphones from the brand to players on his favorite college football team.
James, who was born in Ohio and is a huge Ohio State Buckeyes fan, gave the whole football team new $350 Beats headphones at one point. A brand signed the rest of James’ family to endorsement deals before the 2023–2024 NBA season. These included his wife Savannah, his basketball-playing kids Bronny and Bryce, and his 9-year-old daughter Zhuri.
James also has a massive deal with Nike that’s only grown over his career.
NBA star LeBron James and Nike. Visual China Group via Getty Images
Nike gave James a seven-year, $93 million deal as soon as he graduated from high school and turned pro. The sponsorship was a huge hit for both of them, so in December 2015, Nike gave him a deal that would last forever.
James has an unlimited deal with the brand that goes far beyond a normal shoe promotion. And the King’s longtime business partner Maverick Carter seemed to confirm to GQ Style that James signed the deal for more than $1 billion.
Nike has even built a building for the superstar.
The King’s logo is stuck on almost every surface of the building on Nike’s site in Beaverton, Oregon. The building is called the “LeBron James Innovation Center,” and it is used for study, engineering, and other things that make the experience of athletes better.
Thanks in large part to his Nike deal, James is officially a billionaire.
Forbes says James finally reached the 10-figure mark in 2022, when his net worth reached $1 billion. “Upwards of $900 million in income from endorsements and other business ventures,” the news source says.
James posts things on Instagram, which is another way that The King makes money.
According to The Hustle, James makes about $428,000 per paid Instagram post. Since James has 158 million followers, it makes sense that brands would want to get their hands on all of those eyes.
James used to have a deal with McDonald’s to eat their food.
Forbes says that he lost $15 million when he dropped out of the deal with the Golden Arches in 2017. But instead, he became a spokesperson for Blaze Pizza, a business he helped start.
James is very smart about how he spends his money. He’ll often choose a long-term investment over a quick cash grab. So it was when he chose to join Blaze Pizza instead of sticking with McDonald’s.
The Lakers star put money into the chain early on, and when his contract with the fast food giant ended, he decided to use his image to promote the business. He has 25 times the amount of money he put in.
Blaze Pizza puts a lot of emphasis on tailoring, like Chipotle or Subway. Insider spoke with the president and chief operating officer, Jim Mizes, who said that customers can build their own pizzas by picking from seven cheeses, eight proteins, twenty veggies, and three sauces.
He made a similar move in 2021 when he left longtime sponsor Coca-Cola — or Sprite — for a deal with rival PepsiCo and its Mountain Dew brand.
Coca-Cola is PepsiCo’s main rival. James first agreed to work with them during his rookie year in 2003. He has long been a fan of Sprite and Powerade, and he even had his own soda called “Sprite 6 Mix by Lebron James.”
Coca-Cola was the official food and drink partner of the NBA for 28 years, ending in 2021. Six years later, James signed a deal with Pepsi, just like the rest of the league. He has been the face of Mountain Dew ever since.
James is an investor in Lobos 1707 tequila.
As seen at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, he likes to take a bottle in a leather satchel that was made just for him by Sheron Barber. There are bottles of Lobos 1707 tequila that cost as much as $160.
A lot of economists think he was worth as much as $500 million to the city of Cleveland.
When James left the Cavaliers to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018, Clevelanders lost more than just the money they paid for the jerseys they burned. According to experts, James’s exit was a huge 𝔟𝔩𝔬w to the city’s economy.
It’s no surprise that the team sells a lot more tickets to games when the point forward is on the team. One economist told TIME that James was worth $500 million to Cleveland’s business, so he had an effect on more than just the team.
According to a study led by Harvard professor Daniel Shoag, James created 23.5% more jobs in food and drink businesses in the area around Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland’s home building.
James has made a lot of smart investments, including in a number of sports teams.
For about $6.5 million, James got a 2% stake in Liverpool FC, a well-known English Premier League team. His share is now worth a lot more than what he put into it at first.
His bet paid off even more in 2021, when he bought into Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of Liverpool FC, to become a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox. James was a vocal fan of the New York Yankees before the deal. The Yankees are the Red Sox’s famous foes.
Warren Buffett likes James’s plan for investing.
“People really do have minds that function better than other people’s in certain areas that you can’t give a test for,” the famed investory told USA TODAY Sports. “And LeBron, in addition to a lot of other talents, he has a money mind. And he gets stuff.”
“He can separate out the cream from the 𝔠𝔯𝔞p, and you get more of the latter proposed to you than you do of the former,” Buffett added of James. “You really have to be able to suss it out.”
James’ media venture got $16 million from Warner Bros mere months after it launched.
The television company “Uninterrupted,” which James runs with his business partner Maverick Carter, opened for business in early 2015. The platform was based on “The Players Tribune” and combines the worlds of sports and lifestyle by featuring original and exclusive material from professional athletes.
The project quickly caught the attention of several big names in the industry. By the end of the year, Warner Bros. Entertainment and their current partner, Turner Sports, had invested millions of dollars in the brand.
James set up a company called SpringHill to make movies.
Sources tell Deadline that the Lakers star sold a “significant” minority share in the company in a deal worth a huge $725 million. James and his company planned to use the new relationships to grow into new markets, such as the metaverse.
“Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which he also acted in, was produced by SpringHill.
James and his company SpringHill worked on a follow-up to Michael Jordan’s famous “Space Jam” movie. The highly awaited sequel came out in the summer of 2021. It starred James as the bad guy and basketball stars D𝔞𝔪𝔢 Lillard, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Diana Taurasi, and Nneka Ogwumike as his “Goon Squad” enemies.
Even though it didn’t do well at the box office, James got great reviews as the lead actor.
He also has a stake in a building in New York City.
In the Manhattan area of Hεℓl’s Kitchen, James and Arnold Schwarzenegger put money into the office building owned by Georgetown Company and Bill Ackman. The restored building at 787 Eleventh Avenue has views of the Hudson River and more than 500,000 square feet of high-end office space.
James is said to have a share in Klutch Sports Group for a long time.
Rich Paul, James’s close friend, started Klutch Sports Group in 2012. Kltuch has become one of the most powerful sports companies, and James is one of its first clients. It now represents some of the best athletes in men’s and women’s basketball and other sports.
There have been rumors for a long time that James joined the ownership group as part of his deal to join the up-and-coming agency at the time. However, the NBA is said to have looked into these claims and found no proof that James was actually an owner.
All that financial savvy has allowed James to buy some sweet toys.
LeBron James once owned matching Porsches with Dwyane Wade. @dwyanewade
At one point, he and Dwyane Wade have matching Porsches. It’s unclear who had which color.
He also, at one point, owned a Rolls-Royce Phantom.
This is LeBron James’ Rolls-Royce PhantomLeBron James James’s fancy car had TVs in the seats, as seen in pictures he shared on Instagram. He also gave his mom a Porsche for her birthday.
LeBron James posts a photo of the Porsche he bought his mother. Instagram/LeBron James
James doesn’t keep the fancy cars all to himself. The basketball star bought his mother, who raised him by herself, a Porsche for her birthday a few years ago, as he wrote on Instagram at the time.
He also bought a Ferrari Testarossa for his wife.
When it was time to enjoy the birthday of his wife Savannah, James did the same thing. This time, he gave a Ferrari Testarossa to one of the most important people in his life. “What A Night and what makes me happy more than anything is putting a smile on your face!” He wrote in the description of his Instagram picture. “Took me a long time to find your masterpiece but I wouldn’t stop until I did and now I can’t wait to watch u cruise off into the sunset on the PCH.” Don’t worry, he also has at least one Ferrari.
LeBron James in his Ferrari. The World Cars/YouTube
Insider has previously reported that James may have several Ferraris parked in his garage.
But he insists that he drives a Kia, even to work.
When James drives his special K900 luxury sedan, the Korean car brand pays for it. The wheels of the car have his own name on them, making it not like any other Kia. James talked up the Hummer EV, which was the first electric Hummer.
LeBron James driving a Hummer. via GMC/YouTube
In addition to posting about the massive car on Instagram, James has starred in several commercials for the brand.
He appears to own a Porsche 918 Spyder.
Fans saw him on a Los Angeles highway driving the fast sports car. LeBron also has a much bigger car that he has changed to fit his needs.
James has a bigger car that he probably uses to move his family. It has headrests with his logo on them and a big-screen TV that’s great for watching “Tom & Jerry” on the go. LRMR Ventures, which is run by James and Maverick Carter, bought a piece of Canyon Bicycles.
Bicycles in Canyon. Canyon Bicycles on YouTubeAt 6 feet 9 inches tall and 250 pounds, you might think that James would use other ways to get around, like his many expensive cars. But he’s known for loving biking and was even seen riding his bike to a Miami home game. The German bicycle brand was bought by James and Carter for about $30 million in 2022, according to Front Office Sports. James bought a $9 million home in Coconut Grove when he joined the Miami Heat.
The Miami home of LeBron James. ObeoThe six-bedroom house had a movie room, a maze of decks, an infinity pool with a view of Biscayne Bay, and a huge master suite. James later made $4 million when he sold the fancy pad. He also has a 30,000-square-foot home in Akron, Ohio, which is where he grew up.
In Akron, Ohio, you can get a lot of room for almost $10 million. James has made good use of his money. Instagram says that he used to have Thanksgiving there with his whole team. The 30,000-square-foot place has a lot of cool features, like a recording studio, a bowling hall, a barbershop, a movie theater, and an aquarium. It also has six bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. He also bought a $23 million home in Los Angeles in 2017.
The beautiful house is in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles and has 10 bedrooms, an onyx bar, a high-end game room, and many other high-end features. James is known for being very cheap, even though he has a huge net worth.
Wade, who is now in the Hall of F𝔞𝔪𝔢and used to play with James and is a close friend, once called the King “the cheapest guy in the NBA.” James responded that the charge “is so, so, so, so falsely true.” The rich man won’t use his phone unless it’s connected to wifi. James once said, “No, I’m not going to do that.” “I’m not turning on data roaming, I’m not buying no apps, I still got Pandora with commercials.” Pandora gave James a free premium account when they heard that. But James doesn’t skimp on the things he needs to stay in shape for hoops.
It is said that James spends more than $1.5 million a year just on himself, and that cost is expected to go up as he gets older. He likes to keep his home clean, so he has an ice tub, a 𝔥𝔬𝔱 tub, and a hyperbaric room. But James also hires a group of health experts, such as a recovery coach, personal cooks, masseuses, and a former Navy SEAL who works as his biomechanist. All of that is on top of what his team does at their sites. Bleacher Report quotes his former Cavs partner Mike Miller as saying, “He puts a lot of money into taking care of his body, which is something most people don’t do.” “A lot of people think it’s a big expense, but that big expense has allowed him to make a lot more money for a long period of time.” James has a lot of tattoos that cost him a lot of money over the years.
For his tattoos, James goes to Bαɳɠ Bαɳɠ Tattoos in New York City, which is one of the best places in the country to get them. The brand costs at least $500 an hour. NPR says that Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry are some of Keith “Bαɳɠ Bαɳɠ” McCurdy’s other clients. When it comes to the people he loves, James is also not cheap.
It is said that James gave his wife Savannah an engagement ring worth a huge $300,000. On Instagram, he shared a picture of her wearing the rock. LeBron and Savannah have been together since high school and have three children together.
He goes by the name “Bronny” in public. LeBron James Jr. was born during his dad’s second NBA season. Then came Bryce James, and after a few years, LeBron and Savannah had a girl named Zhuri. Bronny is becoming a pretty good baseball player.
Before choosing to play college basketball for the USC Trojans, Bronny looked at three other Division I schools, all of which were supported by Nike. Through NIL, he became the highest-paid college player in the country as soon as he joined the school. He has said that he wants to play in the NBA with his son.
Jimmy James has said in public that he wants to play with Bronny in the NBA. But James’s wife Savannah told Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated that they didn’t know about his plan until he told everyone. “No, we hadn’t talked about it,” Savannah replied. “Of course, because you ask the boys what they want to be when they’re 10 or 11 years old.” I want to play in the NBA. I think that was something very important to LeBron.” He has used his money and business sense to help people other than himself and his family.
Akron, Ohio’s “I Promise School” run by LeBron James In 2018, James started the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, which is his hometown. It is a fully funded public elementary school that mainly helps kids who are in dang𝔢r. The school also has a food bank, programs to help students deal with family str𝔢ss, free bikes for all students, things for kids to do in their free time, and job placement services for parents. James also set up the LeBron James Family Foundation, which promised to send more than 1,000 kids to the University of Akron with $41 million. James has also backed a program called “More Than a Vote,” which encourages people to vote. The group even makes gear, which James wore before a 2020 playoff game, according to Instagram.
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