Kobe Bean Bryant achieved great success on the basketball court. An 18x All-Star, 15x All-NBA player, and 5x NBA Champion, the guy had a career that most guys can only dream of.
As great as Kobe’s basketball achievements were, however, what he was able to do off the court may be even more impressive.
Besides being a mentor, role model, and family man, Bryant was also dabbling in the media, even winning an Oscar for his short film in 2018.
Of course, he had a hand in the business world as well. Shortly after announcing the launch of Kobe Inc., Bryant announced his $6 million investment in BodyArmor, a popular sports drink company he had been promoting for years.
Well, as it turns out, that initial $6 million investment is now worth over $200 million today.
On Tuesday, Coca-Cola announced it had purchased a minority stake in sports drink BodyArmor.
Bryant made his first investment in the brand, for roughly 10 percent of the company, in March 2014, putting in roughly $6 million over time. Based on the valuation of the Coca-Cola deal, his stake is now worth approximately $200 million, sources told ESPN.
It’s impressive, to say the least, that Kobe’s shares grew so much over a four-year period. The crazy thing is, Bryant had seen that type of money before. Over his 20-year career, the guy had earned over $700 million.
(per Forbes’ Kurt Badenhausen)
One area that Bryant did pass his boyhood idol was at the bank. Jordan earned an estimated $465 million during his playing career from his playing salary and endorsements, while Bryant’s tally will hit $680 million by the end of the season. On an inflation-adjusted basis, the two are closer with Bryant holding the edge $762 million to $720 million in 2015 dollars (Jordan has continued to make a mint in retirement with total inflation-adjusted earnings of $1.6 billion since 1985).
Bryant’s $680 million in total earnings is the most ever by a team athlete during their playing career. The only athletes to earn more are in individual sports and include Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher and Floyd Mayweather.
Kobe was always a smart man, so it’s not surprising at all he made the right investment.
It is a shame he won’t be able to enjoy his earnings, though.
