Michael Jordan is widely known as possibly the greatest basketball player of all-time. Apart from playing for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he was a star player of the United States for the Olympics. While his career in basketball has been hailed as one of the most remarkable ones in history, the six-time NBA champion has his Jordan brand line partnership with Nike to thank for the majority of his earnings. He also has a myriad of endorsements including Hanes, Gatorade, and Upper Deck. He owns a car dealership and several restaurants as well. Thus far, his largest single investment is the 90 percent stake he owns in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. The said team is currently valued at $780 million. Jordan has a net worth of $1.7 billion, according to Forbes.

Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 to Deloris Peoples and James Jordan, Sr. in Brooklyn, New York. His family later on moved to Wilmington, North Carolina where he and his siblings were raised. Even as a child, his parents noted that the Chicago Bulls superstar thrived in competition regardless of the circumstances. Throughout his childhood, Jordan had been known for his athletic prowess and excelled in various team sports including baseball and football.

In 1981, Jordan accepted a basketball scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in cultural geography. By 1982, he was hailed as school hero for scoring the final basket the UNC basketball team needed to emerge victorious against the Georgetown University in the NCAA Division I championship match. In 1983 and 1984, Jordan was awarded the NCAA College Player of the Year.