You May Not Know Junior Bridgeman But The Former NBA Player Is Worth $600M

Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, who recently retired from the business world was once an NBA player who played for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1975 to 1984, he then joined the Los Angeles Clippers before going back to retire with the Bucks. Most sports fans wouldn’t know who he was because he wasn’t a superstar but he was one of the best sixth men when he did play. He obtained his wealth after his career ended and is worth nearly $600 million, only behind fellow NBA retirees, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson and almost ready to retire, current player, LeBron James.

According to ESPN, his business acumen grew over the years but started when he was still playing for the Bucks. Team owner, Jim Fitzgerald. An opportunity arose when Fitzgerald asked several players if they wanted to invest in a cable television operation. He invested $150,000 and about five laters after Fitzgerald sold the company, he received a check for $700,000. That was the right start he needed.

He entered the restaurant business and purchased several Wendy’s and has been successful in that business. For several years, due to his post-career success, he was involved in a program with the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) trying to lead young basketball players into financial literacy since so many, even bigger players have to face financial ruin because they never managed their money correctly.

Bridgeman has a history of business success. As the CEO of Manna Inc., the holding company for his franchise empire of quick-service restaurants, he’s a longtime member of the BE 100s. According to the Michigan Chronicle, Bridgeman was once featured on a 2016 Forbes top-paid athletes list, and he is the CEO of a Coca-Cola bottling company and part-owner of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited.

The businessman once tried to purchase sports magazine Sports Illustrated back in 2018. He eventually withdrew his bid in 2019 as the magazine was sold to Authentic Brands Group for $110 million.

In 2020, Bridgeman’s company, Bridgeman Sports and Media emerged as the successful bidder for Ebony Media’s assets after he placed a bid of $14 million for the company.

He has made sure that his bloodline, Eden, Justin, and Ryan has generational wealth. Forbes reported that his daughter, Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, who used to be Chief Marketing Officer of Manna Inc., is now the Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Ebony and Jet’s parent company, 1145 Holdings, LLC.

This was just one of his moves to ensure financial stability and continue his successful business legacy.

You May Not Know Junior Bridgeman But The Former NBA Player Is Worth $600M