evidence: The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, having landed a spot on the annual Forbes ranking every year since 2004. James has collected pretax earnings of more than $1 billion across his career, according to Forbes estimates. Still, the deal leaves James short of achieving billionaire status. Prior to the SpringHill sale, Forbes estimated James’ net worth to be roughly $850 million, valuing his stake—which is believed not to exceed 50%—at roughly $300 million. Previous reports predicted the SpringHill sale would value the company between $650 million and $750 million. James is on track to become only the second billionaire to emerge from pro basketball, chasing Michael Jordan’s post-playing-career achievement.