Going Over The List: Michael Jordan

Written By looke listen

Michael Jordan won six NBA championships and became the first former player to hold majority ownership of an NBA franchise — and along the way, quietly built one of the more disciplined off-court operations in sports. Michael Jordan is a former professional basketball player, businessman, and Hall of Famer, widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time during his career with the Chicago Bulls. He's also known for launching Jordan Brand with Nike, owning the Charlotte Hornets for over a decade, and co-founding the NASCAR team 23XI Racing.

Today, Jordan is a minority owner of the Hornets after selling his majority stake in 2023, and he's shifted much of his attention to 23XI Racing alongside co-owner Denny Hamlin. He remains one of the most private major figures in sports, giving interviews sparingly and by design.

In this post, we're going over Michael Jordan's List using two interviews to see how his life fits into the Home, Work, and Self framework.

Sources

Home

House

Real estate-wise, Jordan owns multiple properties, including homes in Charlotte, Chicago, and Salt Lake City, with his primary residence at The Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida — a private golf community designed by Jack Nicklaus. On design, the Jupiter house runs 28,000 square feet and was built around his interests, with an 11-bedroom layout, a basketball court, and a cigar-friendly media room. On upkeep, he's said little publicly, though a property of that scale — set on three wooded acres for privacy — implies a full-time staff rather than anything he manages himself.

Partner

Jordan is married to Yvette Prieto, a former model, whom he wed in 2013 after meeting at a Miami nightclub in 2008. For quality time, the two are regularly seen together at golf events like the Ryder Cup, tying his biggest personal passion into shared time with her. On shared responsibilities and conversation, Jordan keeps those details close — he's said his time in the spotlight is dwindling by choice, and protecting his privacy with Yvette is something he actively manages rather than something that happens by accident.

Family

On parents, Jordan's father James R. Jordan Sr. was murdered in 1993; Jordan later established the James R. Jordan Foundation in his honor, and both parents appear repeatedly in The Last Dance as formative influences on his work ethic. On siblings, Jordan is the fourth of five children, and has credited his older brother Larry — eleven months apart in age — with fueling his competitiveness through backyard one-on-one games long before his NBA career began. On kids, he has five: Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine from his first marriage to Juanita Vanoy, and twin daughters Victoria and Ysabel with Yvette. He's said that, like any father, what matters most to him now is seeing his kids succeed.

Work

Make

On time, Jordan's public account of his post-Hornets life is that selling the team freed up hours he's now redirecting into 23XI Racing, where his co-owner Denny Hamlin has noted he's become far more hands-on. On space, that shows up physically at Airspeed, 23XI Racing's shop, where Jordan visits and stays in regular contact with the team throughout race weeks. On supplies, he put real capital behind the bet — an initial $150 million investment to launch the team with Hamlin in 2020.

Show

In real life, Jordan's Show was 15 seasons of nationally televised basketball games, plus a starring role in Space Jam. In print, he's given rare, in-depth interviews to outlets like Cigar Aficionado and Sports Illustrated over the years. Online, that's extended into things like the CBS Mornings interview on 23XI Racing and the 10-part ESPN/Netflix documentary The Last Dance, which reintroduced his career to a new generation of viewers.

Sell

On products, Jordan Brand — his Nike partnership launched in 1997 — remains the core of his commercial business, spanning shoes and apparel. On services, his endorsement relationships with companies like Nike, Hanes, and Gatorade continue to generate revenue independent of any single product line, alongside his ownership stakes in 23XI Racing and a minority position in the Hornets. On events, he's long hosted the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, a golf tournament that combines his personal passion with fundraising for charitable causes.

Self

Wellbeing

On mind, Jordan has described intentionally toning back his media presence so his life isn't defined by repeating the same stories — a deliberate act of control over his own narrative. On body, golf remains his primary physical outlet post-basketball, a passion serious enough that he built his own home around a private club course. On soul, cigars show up again and again in how he's described unwinding, right down to a media room built specifically to accommodate them.

Admin

On time, Jordan's business affairs are managed by a small, longtime inner circle rather than a sprawling public-facing team, freeing him from day-to-day operational load. On money, the scale of his dealings is significant — his 2023 sale of the Hornets alone was valued near $3 billion, on top of decades of Jordan Brand revenue. On paperwork, that's handled largely through his family office and business manager Estee Portnoy, who's overseen his brand, marketing, and philanthropic activity for more than two decades.

Social

On friends, Jordan's closest current business relationship is with Denny Hamlin at 23XI Racing, a partnership that's deepened since he stepped back from the Hornets. On communities, his philanthropy runs through sustained institutional relationships rather than one-off donations — decades as Make-A-Wish's Chief Wish Ambassador, and a major gift to fund Novant Health medical clinics in underserved Charlotte neighborhoods. On one-on-one relationships, he tends to build them slowly and keep them — his bond with Estee Portnoy and his ties to Nike both go back over 25 years.

Key Takeaways

  • Jordan treats privacy as something to actively protect, not a byproduct of fame.

  • His business bets favor ownership and long-term brand equity over public-facing content.

  • A small, trusted inner circle — not a large team — runs his affairs.

  • Family and legacy show up as his stated priorities more than any specific system or routine.

  • Philanthropy is channeled through long relationships (Make-A-Wish, Novant Health) rather than one-off gestures.

Links & Resources

Business & Organizations

Philanthropy

Documentary

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