LeBron James is now a billionaire — here's how he makes and spends his millions
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LeBron James is a four-time champion, four-time MVP, 19-time All-Star, and soon to be the highest-paid NBA player of all time.
James signed a two-year, $97 million contract with the Lakers that will pay him $50 million in 2024-25.
King James has amassed amazing cars and houses while achieving his goal of becoming a billion-dollar athlete, and he still has time for his surprisingly ordinary family.
Now that he's broken virtually every record the NBA has to offer — including passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the league's all-time scoring crown — James has set his sights on playing alongside his sons in the pros.
Tony Manfred and Emmett Knowlton contributed to this report.
LeBron James is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history.
The four-time NBA champion, four-time league MVP, and 19-time All-Star is officially the NBA scoring champion after passing Kareem Adbul-Jabbar's points record in February 2023.
He's also one of the wealthiest.
LeBron has made $432 million during his 20-year NBA career. He also signed a two-year, $97 million extension with the Lakers, that will give him $141 million over the next three years.
Source: Spotrac
The extension will make James the highest-earning player of all time, with $532 million.
Source: ESPN
But in addition to his NBA salary, LeBron also makes roughly $90 million a year in endorsements off the court.
The King led all athletes with $126.9 million in on- and off-court earnings in 2021. The following year, he ranked second on the same list — behind World Cup winner Lionel Messi — with $121.2 million total earnings.
His endorsements include AT&T, Walmart, Intel, Kia, and more.
LeBron's been featured in many commercials for those brands over his decades of superstardom.
He has a longtime sponsorship with Beats by Dre and even gifted headphones from the brand to players on his favorite college football team.
He also has a monster deal with Nike. The company signed him to a seven-year, $93 million deal right out of high school.
And in December 2015, Nike signed him to a lifetime deal that will go far beyond the standard shoe endorsement and is expected to be worth $1 billion.
Maverick Carter — LeBron's longtime business partner — seemingly confirmed to GQ Style that the figure was, in fact, north of $1 billion.
Nike has even built a building for LeBron.
His logo is pasted on virtually every surface of the facility.
Thanks in large part to his Nike deal, LeBron is now officially a billionaire, according to Forbes, with a net worth of exactly $1 billion.
Forbes estimates that he has earned "upwards of $900 million in income from endorsements and other business ventures."
Source: Forbes
LeBron is active on Instagram, which is another source of income for The King.
It's estimated that he makes about $428,000 per sponsored Instagram post.
Source: The Hustle
James used to have an endorsement deal with McDonald's.
When he chose not to renew the deal in 2017, LeBron gave up $15 million.
Source: Forbes
Instead, he became a spokesman for Blaze Pizza, a company where he was a founding investor.
Read more: LeBron James has turned his back on McDonald's to bet on a Chipotle-style pizza chain
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.
Read more: LeBron James jumps ship from Coca-Cola to PepsiCo and will be the face of a new Mountain Dew drink
James is an investor in Lobos 1707 tequila.
He likes to carry around a bottle in a custom leather satchel designed by Sheron Barber.
Economists have estimated he was worth as much as $500 million to the city of Cleveland.
When he left the Cavaliers to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018, it was a huge blow to the city's economy.
He's also quite the businessman himself.
He owns a piece of Liverpool FC, the esteemed English Premier League club.
LeBron bought a 2% stake in the team for about $6.5 million. His share has grown to be worth about $32 million.
Read more: LeBron James' $6.5 million investment in Liverpool FC is already paying off big time
He doubled down in 2021, buying into Fenway Sports Group (Liverpool FC's parent) to become a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox.
He was previously an outspoken fan of the Red Sox's bitter rivals — the New York Yankees.
Warren Buffett said of LeBron, "He's savvy. He's smart about financial matters."
"It's amazing to me the maturity he exhibits," the famed investor said of LeBron.
Source: Sporting News
In 2015, LeBron's media venture, Uninterrupted, got $16 million from Warner Bros.
Source: Bloomberg
James started a production company called SpringHill.
He sold a "significant" stake in a deal where it was valued at $725 million.
Source: Deadline
SpringHill produced "Space Jam: A New Legacy," which he also starred in.
Read more: LeBron James reveals the latest details of the much-anticipated 'Space Jam 2'
LeBron got into a bizarre feud with Nick Saban over the rights to air a show that involves people talking about current events in a barbershop.
He and Arnold Schwarzenegger are part of a group that invested in Georgetown Company and Bill Ackman's office building in Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood in NYC.
Read more: LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger own part of Bill Ackman's office building
Despite persistent rumors that LeBron owns a stake in Klutch Sports Agency with his longtime friend, Rich Paul, the NBA says that is not the case.
Klutch has become one of the most powerful agencies in the sports world.
Source: NBC Sports
All that savvy has allowed him to buy some sweet toys.
At one point, he and Dwyane Wade have matching Porsches. It's unclear who had which color.
He also owns a Rolls-Royce Phantom with TVs in the seats.
Source: Instagram
And he bought his mom a Porsche for her birthday.
Source: Instagram
And a Ferrari Testarossa for his wife.
Source: Instagram
But he insists that he drives a Kia, even to work.
To be fair, his custom K900 luxury sedan is not your typical Kia.
Even the wheels have his personal logo.
But he does own a Ferrari.
Source: CheatSheet
James also promoted the Hummer EV, the first electric Hummer.
He appears to own a Porsche 918 Spyder.
Fans spotted him driving the speedy sportscar on a highway in Los Angeles.
And a Ferrari.
Source: @KingJames on Instagram, via FadeAwayWorld.net
LeBron also has a much bigger vehicle with customized headrests and a big-screen TV on which he likes to watch Tom & Jerry.
When he joined the Miami Heat, he bought a $9 million home in Coconut Grove.
He later sold it for a $4 million profit.
Read more: LeBron James just sold his Miami mansion for $4 million profit
He also owns a 30,000-square-foot compound in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
In the past, he's hosted Thanksgiving there for his entire team.
Source: Instagram
And in 2017 he purchased a $23 million mansion in Los Angeles.
The stunning home has 10 bedrooms and an onyx bar among many other luxury features.
Despite all the spending, Dwyane Wade once called James "the cheapest guy in the NBA."
LeBron said that was "so, so, so, so falsely true."
James won't even use his phone if it is not on wifi.
"No, I'm not doing that," LeBron once said. "I'm not turning on data roaming, I'm not buying no apps, I still got Pandora with commercials."
When Pandora heard that, they offered LeBron a free premium account.
But LeBron isn't cheap when it comes to keeping himself in proper basketball shape, as he reportedly spends more than $1.5 million per year just to take care of his body.
Read more: LeBron James takes immaculate care of his body, and the NBA world is in awe of it
One of the ways he splurges on his own body is by using a controversial cryotherapy chamber.
The chambers expose the body to temperatures of -150 to -290 degrees Fahrenheit to relieve pain and enhance muscle recovery. He was one of the first NBA players to use one.
He also employs a former Navy SEAL who serves as his biomechanist, as well as a recovery coach, personal chefs, and masseuses.
And he apparently works out with Mark Wahlberg.
Source: Instagram
LeBron has a full gym, an ice tub, and a hot tub.
Former teammate Mike Miller: "Where a lot of people don't do it, he puts a lot of money behind taking care of his body."
"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," Miller added.
Source: Bleacher Report
LeBron also uses one of the most exclusive tattoo artists in the country, Bang Bang Tattoos in New York City.
The brand charges a minimum of $500 per hour. Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy's other customers include Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry.
His lavish purchases aren't just for himself. He bought his wife Savannah an engagement ring reportedly worth $300,000.
Source: Hollywood Life; Instagram
He also helped arrange to get former Knicks head coach David Fizdale into a Samsung commercial as a wedding gift.
Fizdale even got paid, calling it "a nice little check for an assistant coach."
LeBron and Savannah are high-school sweethearts, and they have three kids together.
Source: Instagram
Their wedding was a three-day party in San Diego.
Source: Instagram
They went to Italy for their honeymoon.
Source: Instagram
And later traveled to Greece.
Source: Instagram
Savannah opened a juice bar in Miami when James was still with the Heat.
LeBron Jr., better known as Bronny, is turning into quite the ballplayer himself.
Bronny is reportedly considering three different Division I programs — all sponsored by Nike, of course — for his collegiate basketball career.
LeBron has said that it's his goal to play in the NBA with his son.
LeBron has become a bit of a fashion icon.
Well, most of the time. The other times he wears Christmas pajamas that are too small.
Source: Instagram
The only time we really see him let loose is when he wins something, like when he wore this awesome fang shirt at a nightclub after the Heat won the title in 2012...
Even superstars need to relax from time to time.
Source: Instagram
And like many in the NBA, LeBron has become a big fan of the vino.
Source: Instagram
He's also been known to take costume parties seriously. He once made a cameo as Prince and did a decent "Purple Rain" lip sync.
Read more: Here's video of LeBron James dressed as Prince for a Halloween party
But in general, he keeps himself out of the gossip pages. He even rode his bike to a game when he played in Miami.
Source: Twitter
He likes bikes so much that he and Maverick Carter's LRMR Ventures purchased a 4% stake in Canyon Bicycles for $30 million.
Source: Front Office Sports
But LeBron has employed his wealth and business savvy for causes bigger than just himself and his loved ones.
In 2018, James opened the I Promise School, a fully-funded public elementary school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, that primarily serves at-risk children.
Read more: LeBron James opened a school for at-risk kids in Ohio — and people are applauding him
And he's poured his efforts into "More Than a Vote," a campaign that encourages voting.
The organization even has merchandise, which James rocked before a 2020 playoff game.
Source: Instagram
Now check out the house Michael Jordan is struggling to sell:
Here is Michael Jordan's 56,000-square foot house in Chicago and why it is still on the market after 6 years
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