For All of Michael Jordan’s Success, He Can’t Seem to Get 1 Multimillion-Dollar Monkey off His Back
When you think of unstoppable athletes, Michael Jordan has to be near the top of the list. During his time with the Chicago Bulls, His Airness won virtually everything possible; ultimately, only retirement could slow the guard down. While he even found some success on the baseball diamond, MJ’s magic touch apparently has some limits.
For all of his success, Michael Jordan simply can’t seem to overcome one massive opponent. It’s not a fellow competitor, though; it’s a multimillion-dollar mansion.
Michael Jordan’s legendary will to win
While The Last Dance might not have been the most exhaustive documentary ever made, the series did manage to underscore one central reality of Michael Jordan’s career: His Airness loved to win and, more often than not, he came out on top.
Growing up, Jordan honed his competitive instincts battling with his brother, Larry. While Michael’s basketball career suffered an early setback—he famously failed to make his school’s varsity team at the first attempt—he responded with his trademark fire. After starring for the JV squad and growing several inches, he made the cut the following year; he went on to become a McDonald’s All-American and earned a scholarship to the University of North Carolina.
Jordan won a national title during his freshman year with the Tar Heels and, after three seasons in college, entered into the NBA draft. He landed with the Chicago Bulls and immediately established himself as a star; once he got past the Detroit Pistons, he turned into an unstoppable winner, too. By the time he called it a career, His Airness had scored more than 30,000 points and taken home six NBA titles, along with almost every other honor imaginable.
MJ’s competitive drive wasn’t limited to the basketball court, though. Whether he was betting on luggage carousels, hitting the golf course, or even playing Bejeweled, Jordan simply doesn’t tolerate losing.
Even His Airness can’t conquer the real estate market, though
For all of his success, it seems like there’s one opponent that Michael Jordan can’t conquer. The real estate market just won’t bend to the NBA legend’s will.
Try as he might, Jordan hasn’t been able to sell his Highland Park, Illinois mansion despite eight years of effort. The house—which, according to the Zillow listing, includes a basketball court, cigar room, and 19 bathrooms, among other amenities—has been on the market since 2012. While His Airness was initially asking $29 million for the property, the price has dropped all the way to $14,855,000. Unsurprisingly, those digits add up to 23.
Why is Jordan struggling to sell the property, when he’s seemingly able to do anything with ease? As Forbes explained in 2013, the house is a bit of a white elephant; not only is the price high for the area, but only a select few people have the means—not to mention the desire—to buy such an expensive and unique home. Having a gym, basketball court, and tennis court might be perfect for His Airness, but they won’t move the needle for a less athletic homeowner.
Even with his home unsold, Michael Jordan isn’t hurting for money
While Michael Jordan might have hit a rare roadblock in the real estate game, His Airness is still an unabashed business success. Even if his Highland Park home never sells, His Airness has more than enough money in the bank.
Although his playing salary might have been lower than you’d think, Jordan more than made up for it financially. Between his countless endorsements, the Air Jordan brand, and his ownership of the Charlotte Hornets, His Airness has built up an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion. In that context, cutting the mansion’s asking price by $14 million is barely a drop in the bucket.
No matter the arena, Michael Jordan rarely fails to find success. Who knows, maybe The Last Dance could be the boost he needed to finally sell his Highland Park home.
