Oregon is residence to one of many wealthiest billionaires on the planet, rating among the many prime 25 in America and prime 100 on the planet.
Phil Knight, co-founder and former CEO of Nike, and his household appeared within the No. 24 spot on the Forbes 400 record, an annual rating that rounds up among the world’s wealthiest billionaires.
The record showcases 400 billionaires and their households in the US and ranks them primarily based on their price. Many acquired their wealth by means of entrepreneurship, media, hospitality, know-how, investments and extra.
Based on Forbes, in 2024, the mixed price of the US’ 400 wealthiest billionaires totaled a staggering $5.4 trillion, almost $1 trillion greater than the 12 months prior. The highest 5 included Elon Musk ($244 billion), Jeff Bezos ($197 billion), Mark Zuckerberg ($181 billion), Larry Ellison ($175 billion) and Warren Buffett ($150 billion).
This is a more in-depth have a look at Knight’s background, price and philanthropy.
When did Phil Knight co-found Nike?
Knight, born and raised in Portland, co-founded Nike in 1964 with Invoice Bowerman, his former monitor and discipline coach on the College of Oregon in Eugene.
The corporate began out promoting imported Japanese athletic sneakers underneath the title Blue Ribbon Sports activities earlier than changing into Nike in 1971.
Bowerman died in 1999. Knight retired as chairman in 2016, and he and his household nonetheless personal 20% of the corporate at present.
What’s Phil Knight’s price?
Knight’s internet price is $36.8 billion, based on Forbes, making him the twenty fourth wealthiest billionaire within the U.S. and 51st wealthiest on the planet, based on Forbes.
Forbes reported a greater than $20 billion enhance in Knight’s price in 2021 when it reached $49.9 billion and has regularly lower ever since.
How a lot cash has Phil Knight given to the College of Oregon?
Knight and his spouse Penny had been reported to have given a minimum of $3.6 billion to charities, based on Forbes. In 2023, the couple pledged $400 million to assist rebuild Portland’s traditionally Black Albina neighborhood.
They’ve additionally given greater than a billion to the College of Oregon, together with serving to fund Matthew Knight Enviornment, named after Knight’s son, who died whereas scuba diving in 2004; the renovation of Hayward Area, which has hosted the final 5 U.S. Observe & Area Olympic Trials; and the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impression, which opened in 2020 and is dedicated to pushing scientific boundaries. Development on part two of the undertaking, additionally funded by a $500 million donation from Knight and his spouse, is underway.
Knight and his spouse have given greater than $500 million to Stanford College, the place Knight earned his MBA.
The Oregon Well being & Science College Knight Most cancers Institute additionally consists of the Nike co-founder’s title after he and his spouse donated $100 million.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Join reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval could be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at@GinnieSandoval.