Quick Links
American professional basketball player and entrepreneur, LeBron James has an estimated net worth of $440 million. Nicknamed "King James", he currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). James was the beloved star guard for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers until he left for LA as a free agent in 2018. He also played for the 2004 U.S. Olympic team in Athens, and on the U.S. team at the 2006 World Championships.
James was a high school phenomenon in Akron, Ohio. He skipped college to jump straight to the NBA, at the same time signing a $90-million endorsement deal with Phil Knight's Nike shoe company. He became a popular and marketable player and joined Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade as one of the NBA's big attractions. In 2006, the Cavaliers made their first playoff appearance since 1998, and James signed a contract extension worth $60 million that kept him with the Cavaliers through the 2009-10 season. When the contract ended in 2010 he jumped to the Miami Heat, forming a presumed super-trio with fellow free agents Wade and Chris Bosh. Despite the animosity after leaving the Cavaliers, James continues to be a hot ticket. His jersey was the NBA's best seller of 2011 season and he has the No. 1 basketball shoe on the market. Following the defeat of Miami against Spurs in 2014, James opted out of his contract and decided to join the Cleveland Cavaliers instead. He has been with the Cleveland Cavaliers for fifteen years but he is currently signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In April 2011, James partnered with Fenway Sports Group to manage his business interests. As part of the deal, James received a very small stake in the FSG-owned soccer club, Liverpool. His biggest deal is with Nike, and he signed an extension in 2010 that pays more than $10 million per year. James added McDonald's to his endorsement portfolio in January 2010 in a deal worth an estimated $4 million annually. He is the NBA's biggest endorsement star thanks to deals with Nike, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, State Farm and others. He signed a deal to promote Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins in Asia in March 2012 and his signature Nike shoe has been a hot seller racking up $90 million in sales in the U.S. in 2011 according to SportsOneSource.
James has four children with his high school sweetheart who is now his wife, Savannah Brinson.
Earnings & Financial Data
|
Date |
Category |
Description |
Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2019 |
Salary |
Base salary with the Los Angeles Lakers for the year 2019 |
$37,440,000 |
|
2018 |
Sponsorship |
Earnings from endorsement deals with Nike, Coca-Cola (Sprite), Beats By Dre, Kia Motors, Intel 2K Sports and Blaze Pizza |
$52,000,000 |
|
2018 |
Earnings |
Earnings from salary/winnings |
$33,300,000 |
|
2018 |
Asset |
Money raised from the investment of LeBron James in Series A - Mars Reel |
$4,700,000 |
|
2018 |
Contract |
Four-year maximum contract with Los Angeles Lakers |
$153,500,000 |
|
2018 |
Asset |
Current value of Lebron James' website lebronjames.com |
$177,000 |
|
2018 |
Asset |
Purchase value of Lebron James' Lamborghini Aventador |
$670,000 |
|
2018 |
Sponsorship |
Earnings from an endorsement deal with Samsung |
$100,000,000 |
|
2018 |
Sale of Asset |
Money earned from the sale of LeBron James' stake in Beats by Dr. Dre to Apple |
$30,000,000 |
|
2018 |
Asset |
LeBron James' investment in the Liverpool Club |
$6,500,000 |
|
2018 |
Asset |
Current value of LeBron James' investment in Blaze Pizza |
$35,000,000 |
|
2018 |
Sponsorship |
Earnings from endorsement deals with Nike Athletic, Sprite Softdrink, Upper Deck, Beats Electronics, State Farm Insurance, Upper Deck, Sprite, Audemars Piguet, Dunkin' Donuts, Samsung, McDonald's, Kia, Blaze Pizza, Verizon and Intel |
$443,400,000 |
|
2017 |
Salary |
Salary with Los Angeles Lakers (2018-2019) |
$35,654,150 |
|
2017 |
Asset |
Purchase value of his Los Angeles mansion |
$23,000,000 |
|
2017 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' spec mansion on North Tigertail Drive in Los Angeles, California |
$23,000,000 |
|
2017 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, California |
$21,000,000 |
|
2017 |
Earning Turned Donation |
Donation of the LeBron James Family Foundation to the National Museum of African-American History |
$2,500,000 |
|
2017 |
Asset |
Current value of the Liverpool Football Club where LeBron James owns a minority stake |
$1,490,000,000 |
|
2017 |
Contract |
LeBron James' lifetime contract with Nike |
$1,000,000,000 |
|
2017 |
Sponsorship |
LeBron James' off-court endorsements with Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Kia, Samsung, Intel, Verizon and Nike |
$55,000,000 |
|
2016 |
Earnings |
Earnings from salary/winnings |
$31,000,000 |
|
2016 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-2018) |
$33,285,709 |
|
2016 |
Contract |
Three-year contract with Cleveland Cavaliers |
$88,860,000 |
|
2016 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2016-2017) |
$30,963,450 |
|
2015 |
Earnings |
Earnings from salary/winnings |
$23,000,000 |
|
2015 |
Sponsorship |
Estimated earnings from endorsements |
$48,000,000 |
|
2015 |
Asset |
Investment of Time Warner in LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s digital media platform, Uninterrupted |
$15,800,000 |
|
2015 |
Sponsorship |
Earnings from endorsement deals with Nike |
$44,000,000 |
|
2015 |
Earning Turned Donation |
Donation to the University of Akron to provide a guaranteed four-year scholarship for students in James’ "I Promise" program |
$41,800,000 |
|
2015 |
Sale of Asset |
Sale of LeBron James mansion in Coconut Grove, Florida to a Miami couple |
$13,400,000 |
|
2015 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' Los Angeles estate |
$20,900,000 |
|
2015 |
Contract |
A two-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers |
$46,970,000 |
|
2015 |
Sponsorship |
Estimated earnings from endorsements |
$48,000,000 |
|
2015 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-2016) |
$22,970,500 |
|
2014 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' mansion in Akron, Ohio |
$9,200,000 |
|
2014 |
Earnings |
Earnings from salary/winnings |
$20,600,000 |
|
2014 |
Contract |
Two-year contract with Cleveland Cavaliers |
$42,200,000 |
|
2014 |
Sale of Asset |
Earning in Cash Made After Beats Audio Sold to Apple for $3 Billion. James owned 1% of the shares agreed upon when Beats Audio first started in 2008 |
$30,000,000 |
|
2013 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-2015) |
$20,644,400 |
|
2013 |
Earnings |
Earnings from salary/winnings |
$19,100,000 |
|
2013 |
Sponsorship |
Estimated earnings from endorsements |
$42,000,000 |
|
2013 |
Asset |
LeBron James' investment in Blaze Pizza |
$1,000,000 |
|
2013 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' Hummer H2 |
$63,090 |
|
2013 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2013-2014) |
$19,067,500 |
|
2012 |
Earnings |
Earnings from salary/winnings |
$17,600,000 |
|
2012 |
Sponsorship |
Estimated earnings from endorsements |
$40,000,000 |
|
2012 |
Asset |
LeBron James' investment in Blaze Pizza, an up-and-coming restaurant chain |
$1,000,000 |
|
2012 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-2013) |
$17,545,000 |
|
2011 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' Porsche 911 Turbo S |
$181,100 |
|
2011 |
Sponsorship |
Estimated earnings from endorsements |
$40,000,000 |
|
2011 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2011-2012) |
$12,896,159 |
|
2010 |
Sponsorship |
Estimated earnings from endorsements |
$33,000,000 |
|
2010 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' mansion in Coconut Grove, Florida that overlooks Biscayne Bay |
$9,000,000 |
|
2010 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-2011) |
$14,500,000 |
|
2010 |
Contract |
Six-year contract with Cleveland Cavaliers |
$110,000,000 |
|
2010 |
Sponsorship |
Yearly sponsorship deal with McDonald's to star in the fast food chain’s 2010 Super Bowl television advertisement |
$4,500,000 |
|
2009 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' 16,679 sq. ft. Miami mansion |
$9,000,000 |
|
2009 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' Chevy Camaro SS, Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, Range Rover HSE and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited |
$286,350 |
|
2009 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-2010) |
$15,779,912 |
|
2008 |
Asset |
Estimated purchase value of LeBron James' Bentley Continental GT, Dodge Challenger SRT, Rolls-Royce Phantom and Ferrari 599 |
$604,200 |
|
2008 |
Asset |
Money raised from the investment of LeBron James in Series B - Weplay |
$8,600,000 |
|
2007 |
Asset |
Purchase value of LeBron James' Ferrari F430 Spider and Maybach 57S |
$697,820 |
|
2007 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2008-2009) |
$14,410,581 |
|
2007 |
Asset |
Money raised from the investment of LeBron James in Series A - Weplay |
$4,500,000 |
|
2007 |
Contract |
A four-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers |
$60,380,000 |
|
2006 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2007-2008) |
$13,041,250 |
|
2006 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-2007) |
$5,828,090 |
|
2005 |
Contract |
Four-year rookie scale extension with Cleveland Cavaliers |
$60,400,000 |
|
2005 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-2006) |
$4,621,800 |
|
2004 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2004-2005) |
$4,320,360 |
|
2003 |
Sponsorship |
Earnings from sponsorship deals with Nike |
$300,000,000 |
|
2003 |
Contract |
A seven-year sponsorship contract with Nike's Swoosh |
$90,000,000 |
|
2003 |
Salary |
Salary with Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2004) |
$4,018,290 |
|
2003 |
Contract |
Three-year contract with Cleveland Cavaliers |
$12,900,000 |
