Playing professional sports is a dream for many. Only a few get to live it, though, as the
percentage of athletes who reach the professional level is very low. What is even
lower is the number of athletes who reach affluence.

In an era when players don’t manage their money well and careers aren’t long, it is hard for athletes or former athletes to reach an elite level of earnings. But on Oct. 30, 2023, according to Forbes, one former athlete became a billionaire as a result of decades of his strategic business investments.

Former Los Angeles Laker Magic Johnson was incredible on the basketball court, but
after retiring from the NBA in 1996, he became exceptional in business too. From movie
theaters to team ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Johnson grew his profile until
he reached billionaire status in Oct. 2023, joining athletes LeBron James, Tiger Woods
and Michael Jordan as the fourth athlete to become a billionaire.