TOPLINE

Michael Jordan and his Nike-owned Jordan Brand pledged $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to racial equality, social justice and education access, becoming the largest corporate donation to the cause in the wake of George Floyd's death.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: Michael Jordan speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe ... [+]

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

KEY FACTS

"Jordan Brand is us, the black community," begins the statement. "Until the ingrained racism that allows our country's institutions to fail is completely eradicated, we will remain committed to protecting and improving the lives of black people."

Many other celebrities and corporations have donated to the cause of racial equality, but none have come close to Jordans': Amazon, the second-largest company in the U.S., gave $10 million, as did Facebook, which did $71 billion in revenue in 2019.

Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand each provide $50 million of the $100 million donation, in addition to the $40 million Nike pledged to the cause this morning, according to reporter Matthew Kish who covers Nike.

"There is still more work for us to do to drive real impact for the black community. We embrace the responsibility," said Jordan Brand President Craig Williams in the statement.

The Jordan Brand was cofounded by Nike and Michael Jordan in 1984 to create shoes that Jordan would wear during his NBA seasons and would be available for purchase by consumers, and 2019 revenue for the brand was $3.14 billion.

Key Background

57-year-old Michael Jordan is the richest athlete in the world, according to , with a net worth of $2.1 billion. He's regarded as the NBA's greatest player of all time, garnering six titles from his time on the Chicago Bulls, per . While playing he made $90 million, but has earned $1.7 billion in NBA retirement from Nike and other corporate partners like Hanes and Gatorade.

Further Reading

The Inside Story Of How Michael Jordan Became The World's Richest Athlete ( Forbes)

What Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Lebron James And Other Black Celebrities Say About George Floyd And Equal Rights ( Forbes)

Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian Resigns From Board, Asks For Black Candidate To Take His Seat ( Forbes)

I'm the Under 30 Editorial Community Lead at Forbes. Previously, I directed marketing at a mobile app startup. I've also worked at The New York Times and New York

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