WORLD'S TWENTY-THIRD WEALTHIEST
Phil Knight
Co-Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Nike, Inc.
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Phil Knight co-founded Nike in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports, selling Japanese running shoes from the trunk of his car at track meets. He built it into the world's largest athletic footwear and apparel company. His memoir 'Shoe Dog' (2016) became a bestseller and is widely regarded as one of the finest business memoirs ever written.
Wealth in Context
Figures calculated from current net worth estimate
Phil Knight's net worth could pay one year's salary for every resident of San Francisco
Phil Knight's net worth could cover one year's school costs for every man, woman, and child in Oregon
Phil Knight's net worth could build 1,150 new public schools
Source: National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2023
Holdings Breakdown
| Company | Ticker | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NKE | 441M | $44.20 | $19.5B | |
Private Holdings & Other Assets Forbes 2025 Billionaires List | estimated | $38B | ||
About holdings: Includes Swoosh LLC (Knight's family holding company for his Nike stake and other investments), the Trailer Park LLC film production company, and other private assets. Knight has also made significant philanthropic commitments including the $1 billion matching challenge to OHSU.
Net Worth Over Time
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Historical values reflect current known holdings applied to historical market prices. Actual net worth may have differed due to share transactions over time.
Philanthropic Impact
Based on public foundation records, press releases, and giving pledges
Total known giving
$1.4 billion
documented public giving only
Foundation
Phil and Penny Knight Foundation
Giving Pledge signatory — committed to give the majority of his wealth to philanthropy. majority of fortune pledged
How this is calculated
Phil Knight's public stock holdings are sourced from SEC Form 4 filings and annual proxy statements. Net worth is calculated as (shares held × current market price) + private wealth estimate. The private wealth estimate is sourced from Forbes 2025 Billionaires List and is updated periodically — it does not change with market movements. Full methodology →