LeBron James Praised by Warren Buffett for His 'Money Mind'
Billionaire Warren Buffett believes LeBron James has more than a high basketball IQ.
Speaking to USA Today's Josh Peter on Tuesday, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO said he believes James has strong business acumen.
“People really do have minds that function better than other people’s in certain areas that you can’t give a test for," Buffett said. "And LeBron, in addition to a lot of other talents, he has a money mind. And he gets stuff."
Buffett added James' investment savvy shows he knows how to "separate out the cream from the crap."
The numbers bear that out.
According to Forbes, James is the sixth-highest-paid athlete in the world thanks to his booming off-court portfolio. In addition to his lifetime deal with Nike, James has endorsement deals with brands like Beats By Dre, Coca-Cola and Kia, among others.
In 2014, ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein reported James made $30 million in what was "believed to be the biggest equity cash payout for a professional athlete in history" after Beats was sold to Apple.
On top of that, James has invested in Blaze Pizza and owns a small share in Liverpool F.C.
Elsewhere, James has become active in the media world via his burgeoning production company, SpringHill Entertainment.
Beyond various shows and documentaries that have been greenlit for NBC, Starz, HBO, Showtime and Facebook Watch, SpringHill is also collaborating with Warner Bros. on a sequel to Space Jam, which James is slated to star in.
