Life wasn’t always confetti and trophies for LeBron James. Born on December 30, 1984, to a mom who was just 16 at the time, LeBron grew up without his dad, Anthony McClelland, whose run-ins with the law prohibited any involvement with his son.
The prodigy didn’t just sit on his laurels; his performances in the ensuing years earned him a contract that dwarfed his first. Before the 2007-2008 season, he stretched the Cavs’ purse strings, netting an additional $60 million for another three years. He left the Cavaliers once his contract ran out, jetting off to Miami to play for the Heat in 2010, and bagged a whopping $110 million over six years.
Remember when Beats headphones got super-popular around 2008? You can thank LeBron for that. He got a piece of the Beats action and guess what? When Apple grabbed the brand for a staggering $3 billion in 2014, LeBron cashed out with $30 million.