Sports reward present, sports secure the future. Take any athlete, and you will see them struggling in torn boots initially, only to own brands later that come from their celebrity status. Michael Jordan earned approximately $94 million during his NBA career. Later, he became the first athlete to cross the billion-dollar mark, and it was not because of his career earnings. With a never-before-seen Nike royalties deal, even today he rakes in close to $300 million alone from his Air Jordan brand as the 6x NBA champion continues to build his empire. But that’s not the end goal.

“He has a vision to expand across the country and would love to see other celebrities follow his lead. He wants to leave a lasting mark with his legacy that’s about more than just basketball.” A source close to Michael Jordan told In Touch exclusively about him not stopping with his phenomenal philanthropic work. This was after the fourth free health clinic opening for uninsured families in his home state of North Carolina.

It was in 2017, the Jordan Family contributed $7 million to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation’s initiative to launch the Michael Jordan clinics. Close to 8 years later, they continue to build on, and the reason is pretty simple. “Michael is not doing this for publicity or some sort of tax break, this is something he genuinely cares about,” the insider notes. “He has seen firsthand how hard it is for underprivileged communities to get access to good medical care, and he’s vowed to do what he can to help.”

The ability to give back is what drives His Airness’ continuous effort to lead the project. The source close to MJ also added, “more money than he could spend in 10 lifetimes.” They say it “gives him a lot of happiness to be able to put his wealth to good use.” The money part is actually spot on. Because, as per Sportico’s highest-paid athletes of all time, Michael Jordan occupies the top spot with $4.15 billion when adjusted for inflation. According to Forbes, that puts his net worth at $3.5 billion.

More about the philanthropic endeavors of Michael Jordan

It’s not just the Bulls icon who is involved with the medical clinic. His mother, Deloris Jordan, was also present at the opening of the third, Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic. This received a $10 million donation from MJ and was the first in Wilmington, North Carolina.

via Imago

The other two clinics are located in Charlotte, and with the help of the third location, even more patients can be treated across the state. Even the Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant expressed his gratitude on X: “2 goats who impacted the world. Much Love to the Jordans and everything they do!” Previously, the two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte also received a donation of $7 million.

Apart from this, Deloris Jordan also opened up another clinic outside of the US. The family launched a gender-based violence recovery center in Kenya, and MJ’s mother visited in person for the opening. With the wealth like no other athlete, Michael Jordan and his family are making sure to use it to serve other people.