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Simone Biles walked away from a Nike deal that paid her more than $1 million a month. Nike Deal As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the most decorated gymnast in history signed an endorsement deal with Nike in 2015, believing the brand was a great fit for women athletes. Nike has represented some of the greatest athletes in the world, including Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, per the outlet. As an Olympian, Biles represented Nike at the 2016 Rio Games and was featured in its video and print advertisements, WWD reported. She was making as much as $1.6 million a month through the deal, according to Essentially Sports. In 2021, Biles made it clear why she decided to part ways with Nike just three months before the Tokyo Olympics. She wasn’t chasing a check. Instead, she was seeking alignment with her personal values, more support, and greater creative input, according to Marca. Athleta This led to her signing a long-term partnership with Gap Inc.–owned...
Coco Gauff has doubled down on her commitment to HBCU students. Gauff comes from a family of HBCU graduates, Tennis reports, but didn’t have a chance to follow suit, choosing her tennis career instead. She has secured numerous titles, including 2025 French Open champion, 2023 U.S. Open champion, and is the highest-paid women’s athlete for the third year in a row, according to Sportico. Yet, she told Tennis that if she weren’t playing the sport, an HBCU would be in her playbook. “If I didn’t play tennis, I would have loved to attend an HBCU,” she told the outlet. “I have family members on both sides, both my grandmothers went to HBCUs, uncle and aunt went to HBCUs, and growing up, just attending, going to HBCU Classic games and things like that.” Coco Gauff Scholarship Program Gauff donated $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in 2025 to provide scholarships to HBCU students playing competitive tennis. This led to the launch of the Coco Gauff Scholarship Program, which...
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore has turned down the NFL draft to remain in college. Fortune reports he has decided to remain another year at the University of Oregon. He was projected to be the No. 2 draft pick. In 2025, No. 2 pick Travis Hunter secured a $46.7 million deal to play four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fortune reports that this year’s earnings are projected to increase. Why He Turned Down The Pros “This year, I’ve had many great throws, many great plays, but at the end of the day I feel I can still learn so much more,” Moore said in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday. “As a kid, since I was 4 years old, I’ve dreamed about being in the NFL — but this team, we’ve been through a lot, a lot of people are returning, so we’ve got some exciting things to come this year. I’m excited to keep pushing my team.” Moore’s decision prevents him from earning an NFL salary. However, Moore is still doing well for himself as a result of name, image, and likeness deals,...
Atlanta Dream star Brittney Griner has launched a company that is inspired by her time in Russian custody. In February 2022, Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside of Moscow, USA Today reports. She was preparing to play for the Russian club team UMMC Ekaterinburg, a team she had joined for several seasons during the offseason of the WNBA. It’s not uncommon for players to go overseas, as players can earn up to four times their base salary for the league, according to NBC News. Griner, who is an Olympian and had played for the Phoenix Mercury at the time, had 0.7 grams of medically prescribed cannabis oil that was found in vape cartridges. She was sentenced to 10 years for possessing it in Russia but was released in a prisoner exchange with the U.S. after pleading guilty and serving 293 days. She admitted she was “never going overseas to play again” in 2023 unless it was for Team USA in the Olympics. Zennjet Since then, Griner has addressed the pain points...
NFL player Ja’Marr Chase is stepping into ownership. Flerish Hydration Flerish Hydration is a beverage company launched in the fourth quarter of 2024 that provides watermelon-based products supporting performance and recovery. Beverages are packed with electrolytes, real ingredients, and vitamins E, B6, and B12, as well as L-Theanine, Zinc, and Magnesium, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. The company was co-founded by former Division I athlete Avery Johnson Jr. and Nick Nevins, son of Bruce Nevins, who launched Perrier Water in North America. Flerish Hydration can be purchased on Amazon and TikTok Shop, and has more recently expanded to Kroger. “What started as a vision to create a better hydration solution for Gen Z and Alpha has quickly turned into a movement,” Johnson said in a post shared on LinkedIn. “ When Nicholas N. and I founded Flerish, we wanted to create a hydration product that not only delivered on functionality but also offered incredible taste. We began with familiar...
Kevin Durant has a lot of love for Austin, TX. The NBA superstar previously played one year at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) in 2006. It was one of the best seasons of the program’s history, according to KXAN Austin. Durant was named Collegiate National Player of the Year, ranking fourth nationally in scoring and rebounding, and led the team to the second round of the NCAA tournament, per the Texas Longhorns. He went pro in 2007 and was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics. Throughout Durant’s climb in the league and in business, he has continued to pour into Austin. He donated $3 million to UT Austin in 2018, which went to Texas Basketball and the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation, and paved the way for the men’s basketball facilities to be renamed the Kevin Durant Basketball Facility for Men. The main entrance to Denton A. Cooley Pavilion was also named The Kevin Durant Texas Basketball Center. Speaking of the university he said, “This was kind of the...
Black woman-led skincare brand Topicals has closed another round of funding, per an exclusive report from The Business of Fashion. Topicals Founded in 2020 by Olamide Ayomikun Olowe, Topicals was born out of her search for a solution for those with hyperpigmentation, eczema, and dark spots. CNBC reports Olowe also struggled with hyperpigmentation and Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB). Per its website, the Topicals product lineup features its faded under eye masks, serum, brightening cleansing bar, and more. She teamed up with Claudia Teng, who previously worked as a dermatology clinical research assistant, to launch the science-backed brand, with both women ultimately ditching their plans to attend medical school. Topicals later secured $14.8 million in funding before Olowe was 26 years old — as AFROTECH™ previously reported — making history as the youngest Black woman to raise $10 million in funding in 2022. Funding Now, WNBA player Angel Reese, which Forbes lists as one of the...
Lewis Hamilton is one of the highest-paid drivers in Formula 1. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , the English race car driver entered the sport at 8 years old. Representation was scarce, but the sport gave him a chance to feel accepted. “Being the only Black kid on the circuit, struggling at school, really, always my big drive was acceptance — ‘If I win the race, I will receive that acceptance in this world,’” he told GQ at the time. Hamilton grew up to make history in the sport. He went pro in 2007, at 22, signing with McLaren. In doing so, he became the first Black driver in Formula 1. “When I first started in Formula 1, I tried to ignore the fact I was the first black guy ever to race in the sport,” Hamilton told BBC. “But, as I’ve got older, I’ve really started to appreciate the implications. It’s a pretty cool feeling to be the person to knock down a barrier — just like the Williams sisters did in tennis or Tiger Woods in golf.” Hamilton later signed with the Mercedes...
University of Houston athlete Ramon Walker Jr. is putting his name, image, likeness (NIL) earnings to good use. Walker Jr. has secured a slew of partnerships while playing for the college. According to his Instagram, they include Star Pizza, Daspit Law Firm, Gallery Furniture, The Players Trunk, and BB’s Tex-Orleans. Also listed is Actively Black, a Black-owned apparel brand launched in 2020 by Lanny Smith, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. View this post on Instagram With his earnings, he wants to invest in real estate thanks to his father’s advice, whom he views as a mentor. “My dad always told me, he says, when you have money, you have to let your money make you more money,” Walker explained per PaperCity Magazine. “Just my dad being a mentor to me on that side of things has really helped me. The NIL landscape is crazy now. It’s a huge influx of money. So I’m just trying to do the right things with it to set myself up for later in life, that’s something I’ve been concentrating...
Luol Deng has an impressive real estate portfolio. NBA Career The South Sudan native first generated wealth while playing in the NBA. He was drafted in 2004 by the Phoenix Suns as the seventh overall pick, but was quickly traded to the Chicago Bulls, according to Marca. He went on to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves across his 15 seasons. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and retired in 2019 with $166.1 million in career earnings, Spotrac reports. Mentorship From Current JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon The money is still rolling in for Deng as a result of the seeds that were planted ahead of his foray into the league. Forbes reports that while playing at Duke University, Deng befriended the daughter of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. That relationship led to mentorship in real estate from Dimon, who at the time was living in Chicago as the CEO of Bank One. Dimon also welcomed Deng to the city after the Chicago Bulls drafted...
Angel Reese admitted that the WNBA doesn’t pay her bills, yet her efforts beyond the court place her among the highest-paid in women’s sports. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Reese comes from humble beginnings. She shared that she “used to be broke” and would clock in to work at Smashburger before going to practice in high school. Then the name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy, which went into effect in 2021, allowed Reese to find financial security. She secured deals with brands such as Coach, Wingstop, McDonald’s, Raising Cane’s, and Reebok. She transitioned to the pros, signing with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky as the seventh overall pick in 2024. According to Spotrac, she is under a four-year contract worth $324,383, with a base salary of $74,909. In a 2024 live, she admitted her league salary doesn’t cover her bills. “The WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally,” she said in a 2024 live. Partnerships Reese’s business moves off the...
Kevin Durant is making sure the community in which he was raised is a part of his success story. Durant is in his 19th season with the NBA and is reportedly one of the best basketball players to hit the court. This was reflected in his being named to the Top 75 as part of the 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Durant’s career earnings have surpassed $501 million, according to Spotrac. Off the court, he is signed to a lifetime Nike deal, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. He is also the co-founder of Boardroom, a sports, media, and entertainment brand launched alongside his business partner Rich Kleiman. Additionally, he is a serial investor through his venture capital firm Thirty Five Ventures (35V), which has a portfolio that includes NJ/NY Gotham Football Club of the National Women’s Soccer League, plant-based superfood nutrition company Happy Viking, and health tracking firm WHOOP. 35V’s website states it has invested in more than 100 startups. As his impact grows, Durant is also...
Michael Johnson’s track and field league, Grand Slam Track, has filed for bankruptcy, according to AP News. Grand Slam Track Promises As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Johnson’s love for the sport, which is reflected in his records in the 200- and 400-meter races, also led him into ownership. He secured “the single largest investment in track and field history,” per Sportico, to launch Grand Slam Track in 2024. Johnson intended to ensure athletes could commercialize their rights and promised never-before-seen payouts of $100,000 for the top winners of four meets. A total of $3 million in funding was allocated as prize money for each meet. What Went Wrong In the end, Johnson was unable to keep his word. The league reportedly fell short in compensating athletes and vendors. “Due to our strong desire to make this right as quickly as possible, we offered dated payment timelines and have been unable to meet them,” Johnson confessed in an August 2025 Instagram post. View this post on...
Coco Gauff, the American tennis player and two-time Grand Slam champion, remains a leading figure in sports and business in 2025. For the third consecutive year, she has been recognized as the highest-paid female athlete, according to Sportico. Gauff, who won her second Grand Slam in women’s singles during this year’s French Open, tops the 2025 ranking with an estimated $31 million in total earnings, ahead of rival tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, who earned $30 million. She is also one of only four women to surpass $30 million in a single year, named alongside Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, and Serena Williams, per the outlet. The annual list reflects continued growth in women’s sports. All 15 athletes on the list, which included Caitlin Clark, Osaka, Simone Biles, and Venus Williams, earned at least $10 million, compared to 11 in 2024 and six in 2023, notes Sportico. Tennis continues to dominate, with 10 of the top 15 earners coming from the sport. As the outlet notes, Gauff’s total...
It’s a family affair over at the Shaq Brand. Walking Away From Reebok As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Shaquille O’Neal had a multi-million-dollar shoe deal on the table from Reebok. However, he walked away from the deal in 1998 to launch an affordable shoe line in partnership with Walmart. This was prompted after a mother told him that his younger fans couldn’t afford his shoes being sold by Reebok . O’Neal recounts on “The Big Podcast” that he went to his mom in hopes she would counter what the woman had said. However, his mother not only agreed but she also reminded him about his hometown of Newark, NJ. “She’s like, ‘Remember, you ain’t never had no shoes that cost more than $40.’ So, I said to myself, ‘All right, I’m gonna start my own line.’ I called Reebok and said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to renew.’ I had like $50 million on the table. I had no idea what I was going to do. So, I was thinking about where do my people go. Walmart. Walmart is the best distribution in the world....