No matter how you feel about him, LeBron James is going to go down as one of the best basketball players of all time. However, he’s proven himself to be far more than just a basketball player. He’s always been focused on what he does off the court. This includes his endorsement deals, a few ventures into the entertainment world, and being an activist for causes who isn’t afraid to let people know what he feels about a topic. At the same time, King James has not been afraid to throw his money around either. He’s paid for countless kids to go to college and has also invested in a lot of businesses, helping out startups in need while trying to turn his NBA salary into even more money. Let’s take a look at some of the more notable investments that James has made during his time in the spotlight.
Blaze Pizza
Who would have thought that a pizza chain would be one of the best investments James ever made? Along with Maverick Carter and Paul Wachter, LeBron invested a little less than $1 million in 2021 in a chain called Blaze Pizza, which was a relatively unknown chain based in Pasadena at the time. Fast forward a few years and the initial investment that James made in the company was worth $25 million in 2017. Eventually, James became a spokesman for Blaze Pizza after his endorsement deals with other food chains ran out. Today, Blaze Pizza has over 300 locations with James being the owner of 19 of them, including locations in South Florida and Chicago.
Beats by Dre
In 2008, James quietly became a partner with Dr. Dre taking a share in Beats by Dre and becoming an ambassador for the brand. It was reported that James made $30 million when Beast by Dre was sold to Apple in 2014. However, one of LeBron’s former teammates Kendrick Perkins claims that King James actually earned a check for $700 million based on being a silent investor for Beats by Dre.
Fenway Sports Group
In 2021, James made an investment in the Fenway Sports Group that allowed him to become a partner in the firm. That essentially makes James part-owner of the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC in England, several of the Red Sox minor league affiliates, and countless other entities, including Roush Fenway Racing, and the New England Sports Network. More recently, the Fenway Sports Group also became the majority owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving James a minority stake in that franchise as well. Equally important, James and Carter are the first black partners in the Fenway Sports Group.
Ladder
View this post on Instagram
James has also invested in himself, creating a health and wellness company called Ladder that specializes in creating supplements for athletes. This one hasn’t gotten that much attention because it’s in a rather crowded market. However, James created the company himself along with his trainer Mike Mancias with help from Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who are also investors.
SpringHill Entertainment
View this post on Instagram
As mentioned, James has ventured into the entertainment industry, including his own company SpringHill Entertainment, which he co-founded with Carter in 2020. Serena Williams is also a part of the company as a member of the Board of Directors. SpringHill Entertainment is best known for the new Space Jam movie, which stars James. But it’s also produced other movies and TV shows that can be found on HBO, Netflix, and other platforms.
What are LeBron James' Top 5 investments in 2022
– Blaze Pizza – Beats By Dre – Fenway Sports Group – Ladder – SpringHill Entertainment
