Soccer star Lionel Messi is set to earn upwards of $41 million a year as part of his new contract with Paris Saint-Germain. But NBA legend Michael Jordan is going to earn a tidy profit off the Messi-PSG deal too.
According to Front Office Sports, Jordan has already earned over $7 million thanks to the Messi move. Jordan’s bonus money comes thanks to Messi’s PSG jersey sales, which are manufactured by his Air Jordan brand.
In the days since Messi signed with PSG, his jerseys have raked in over $100 million for Air Jordan. Naturally, MJ gets a cut – a tidy 5-percent of PSG’s shirt sales.
We can probably expect that number to only increase in the days and weeks to come. And he’ll probably make even more when PSG release next year’s kits.
Not a bad deal for a man who has no involvement with professional soccer.
Many people on social media are praising Michael Jordan for positioning himself in such a way where he can make millions doing nothing.
Lionel Messi may be the face of soccer, but Michael Jordan is the face of branding. And PSG’s partnership with Air Jordan has the club set up as one of the fastest rising powerhouses in global sports.
The only accolade that has eluded the French club is the UEFA Champions League title. But they’ve come closer than ever before in recent years.
If Messi can lead PSG to a Champions League crown over the next two years, Jordan is going get even more money from the club down the line.