LA VIP AGENT: PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES WHO BECAME ENTREPRENEURS

#LAVIPAgent to talk about some famous athletes who turned into some tremendous businessmen and businesswomen after their careers (some during!). As you know I played professional basketball overseas in my hayday but now I spend my full time devoted to my other passion, Luxury Real Estate. I think a little known fact is how business savvy some of these legendary players are. Often professional athletes are earning a lot of money and building wealth during their careers so it is only natural they invest it in business after. So without further ado, here are some great stories of athletes turned entrepreneur!

Arguably the best basketball player known to the game, Michael Jordan changed the way basketball is viewed. He played for the Chicago Bulls and later for the Washington Wizards, totaling more than $90 million in earnings as a player salary.

This tennis ace couldn’t wait for retirement to start her own company, and the seven-time Grand Slam singles champ now has an equally impressive business résumé as she does an athletic one.

She is the founder and CEO of the clothing line, EleVen, and interior design company, V Starr Interiors. She told Forbes magazine, “I think as an athlete you’re always overcoming all kinds of challenges. That’s the name of sport — it’s a challenge. So definitely applying those lessons of perseverance and learning from mistakes and setting goals has definitely helped me in business.”

The Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories turned to real estate after retiring his football helmet and pads. He worked for real estate titan Henry Miller Jr. for six years before building his own commercial real estate firm, The Staubach Company. The firm began with five employees, expanded exponentially under Staubach’s leadership, and eventually sold for $613 million in 2008.

It’s easy to take for granted the fact Tony Hawk’s name is synonymous with skateboarding, but his ascension to superstardom comes on the back of some terrific business instincts. In 2009 Hawk was the highest-paid action sports athlete on the planet at $12 million, selling his name on everything from shoes to bicycles, clothes, a best selling autobiography and of course, skateboards. His video game series has amassed over a billion dollars since their inception in 1999, and while his peers lived the rockstar lifestyle partying in Southern California, Hawk enjoyed the best of both worlds.