Michael Jordan of Brooklyn, New York is the greatest basketball player of all-time. The current Charlotte Hornets owner and former Chicago Bulls mega superstar will be celebrating his 60th birthday on Friday. In the process he will make a $10 million donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation. This is the largest single donation made by a person in the history of the foundation according to Derek Saul of Forbes.
This is not the first time that Jordan has made basketball headlines for his charitable endeavours. In 2020, he promised $100 million to organizations that were committed to “ensuring racial equality, social justice, and greater access to education.”
Jordan has helped raise $5 million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He first joined the organization as an ambassador in 1989 while he was starring for the Bulls. That year he averaged a NBA-high 32.5 points per game. It would be the third season of seven straight years Jordan led the NBA in scoring.
Other charities or relief efforts Jordan has made significant financial contributions to over the years include the Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago ($5 million), two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina ($7 million), the recovery in North Carolina after Hurricane Florence in 2018 ($2 million), and to the Bahamas recovery from Hurricane Dorian in 2019 ($1 million). Jordan’s overall net worth at this time is $1.7 billion.
Jordan’s significant charitable gift comes eight years after PK Subban made a $10 million donation to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Subban retired last season after 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils.
