Michael Jordan has a deep connection with the sport of basketball. Fans often claim that he was god sent and that MJ had no holes in his game. That is more than enough to know that Jordan dominated the floor during his time. But his resume speaks volumes about the Hall of Famer. His legacy remains perfectly intact even after two decades of retirement. But his life outside of basketball was very controversial at times.
The Chicago Bulls legend married Juanita Vanoy in 1989, only a few years after he became a professional athlete. Things eventually turned stale between Vanoy and Jordan ultimately leading to a divorce in 2006. It was said that both individuals had irreconcilable differences which led to their split.
This divorce took a massive hit to MJ’s net worth as he ended up paying Vanoy $168 million in settlement. Jordan was a few years into retirement then.
This divorce settlement went down as one of the biggest cases in American history as well. While some argue that Vanoy benefitted from the divorce, Michael Jordan went on to do what he did best. He quickly bounced back from his unfortunate divorce and continued doing business.
Jordan also loved being exquisite which is why he worked hard to be at the top of his game. He ended up purchasing the Charlotte Hornets and mentored its players for a decade.
Michael Jordan auctioned the rare Mercedes-McLaren that he purchased after leaving Juanita Vanoy
Michael Jordan owned the highest-graded luxury items. He currently has a massive collection of cars that includes old-school four-wheelers to speed machines such as Ferraris and a Bugatti Veyron. A year after his divorce, he purchased a one-of-a-kind Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722 which was priced at $480,000. Despite paying a massive settlement which took a toll on his net worth, Jordan still wanted to outclass people around him.
The SLR 722 was very unique as there were only 150 units sold worldwide. It had a supercharged V8 engine which topped at 207 mph. The SLR 722 edition was packed with 641 horsepower as well. Things were much more interesting as he barely drove more than a thousand miles in the car. But he eventually put up the vehicle for sale auctioning it for just under $700,000. This was because Mercedes stopped production of this particular car.
Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722 Edition (Credits – Carscoop and Top Speed)
Unfortunately, it was currently listed on eBay for much less than what it was purchased for. This isn’t the only thing Michael Jordan is bidding farewell to. He recently agreed to sell the Hornets after years of trying to turn things around for the franchise. The Hornets were valued at $3 billion at the time of this shocking announcement. While the deal is being worked on, MJ is currently worth over $2 billion making him one of the richest athletes in the world.