Kobe Bryant was one of the highest-paid retired NBA players until his death in a helicopter crash in 2020. He had a tremendous NBA career, playing for the Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the San Diego Clippers.
Due to a series of decisions, his excellent skills, grit, passion to the game, and the numbers he accumulated, he quickly became one of the most remarkable NBA stars to ever play.
His prowess on the court earned him multiple endorsement deals in addition to his $323.3 million in NBA earnings. The majority of his net fortune was derived from endorsement partnerships with international corporations such as Nike, Sprite, McDonald’s, Turkish Airlines, Lenovo, Hublot, and Panini. He also signed lucrative deals worth $350 million with Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Sina.com, and Mercedes Benz.
His most significant business and largest earning move, however, was his investment in a sports drink called ‘BodyArmor,’ which he decided to invest in after only one sample.
In 2015, he reportedly purchased a 10% share in the company, which would eventually be acquired in stages by Coca-Cola. Prior to Kobe’s takeover, the company’s yearly revenue was $10 million.
By 2014, it had generated more than $250 million in revenue, prompting Coca-Cola to purchase a 15% stake in the company for $300 million. As BodyArmor’s valuation reached $6 billion, Kobe’s initial $6 million investment was worth $200 million.
Coca-Cola would later acquire 30% of the company and the rest 70% afterwards, reducing the company’s value from $1.4 billion to $8 million. According to CBSNews, Kobe reportedly paid $400 million for Coca-Cola’s total takeover of the company.
In January 2020, the NBA Hall of Famer and one of the world’s most recognized basketball idols died in a helicopter crash. Bryant was flying with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, and a few others.
Over his two-decade career, the Black Mamba’s face became synonymous with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won five championships alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash.