Major League’s Best Investors Revealed

1. Kevin Durant

Winner of two NBA championships and an NBA Most Valuable Player award, Kevin Durant joined the Phoenix Suns in 2023, and also makes it to the top of our list as the most prolific investor of all major leagues.

Not only does he have the most number of portfolio companies at 45, but he’s made the most investments (51), gotten the most number of partner investments (10), and has the joint second highest net worth, at a staggering $300 million.

Just some investments Kevin Durant has made include Coinbase Global Inc., sports social media startup Overtime, and Thrive Global, which is founded by Ariana Huffington.

2. LeBron James

In second place for our major league investors is LeBron James, who’s been playing in the NBA professionally since 2003. He has the highest net worth on our list, at a huge $800 million, and has two partner investments; which include an investment in soccer club A.C. Milan, alongside artist Drake.

3. Patrick Mahomes 

NFL Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the third best investor of the major league, with the second most partner investments, at a grand total of nine. This includes a 24% stake in the Alpine Formula One team alongside Travis Kelce and Rory McIlroy; and Throne SPORT COFFEE, which quickly made it Amazon’s top-selling ready-to-drink coffee.

4. Stephen Curry

With the third most investments (16), the joint third most portfolio companies (14), and the joint fifth highest net worth ($180million), Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry is officially the fourth top investor in the major league.

Investments he’s made include cashback app Super.com, and TMRW, which is a social media and technology platform specifically for golf.

5. Chris Paul

Having played professionally in the NBA since 2005, playing for several teams including the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and most recently, the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Paul makes it into a very respectable fifth place on our list.

He has the second most portfolio companies (19) and number of investments (19), as well as a net worth of $180million. Some of his investments include Atlanta-based restaurant franchise Slutty Vegan, and streaming platform PlayersTV.

6. Aaron Rodgers

Often referred to as one of the most talented quarterbacks of all time, Aaron Rodgers can now add the accolade as one of the best investors of the major league to his list, coming in sixth place. He has the third most partner investments, at three, as well as the fourth highest net worth, at a very respectable $200 million.

Most recently, this has included an investment and partnership with Amberjack, a men’s dress shoes brand.

7. Russell Westbrook

With the joint second highest net worth, at $300 million, Denver Nuggets’ Russell Westbrook has made it in seventh place on our list. Having played for five teams during his career, he’s also made eight investments during this time, including drinks brands Poppi and Flow, and muscle recovery brand Hyperice.

8. Odell Beckham Jr.

Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has made it into eighth place for his investments, with the joint third most portfolio companies (14), and the fourth most investments (15).

Along with his co-investors, brands he’s invested in include Skinny Dipped Almonds, Shef, and Magic Spoon, making investments in the range of $5,000-$50,000. 

9. Ndamukong Suh

In ninth place is defensive tackle free agent Ndamukong Suh, who has 10 portfolio companies and 12 investments – both of which are the joint fifth most on our list. Real estate has been a primary focus for him, but he’s also invested in several technology and hospitality brands, too.

10. Kevin Love

Rounding off our top 10 major league investors is Kevin Love, five-time All Star, and part of the gold medal-winning Olympics 2012 team.

He also has the joint fifth most portfolio companies and investments, including air purification startup, Molekule, and massage therapy brand, Aescape.

Looking at the remainder of our top 20, there are five NFL players – Bobby Wagner in 11th, Deandre Hopkins in 16th, Travis Kelce in 18th, Dak Prescott in 19th, and Russell Wilson in 20th place. There are four NBA players in positions 11-20, including Paul George (12th), James Harden (13th), Klay Thompson (14th), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (17th); and Naomi Osaka is the only tennis player to make the cut, in position 15. 

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Methodology

Using desk research, we gathered active US-based athletes who have invested their money off the field/court. We then used company and investor insights website Crunchbase to analyze the following factors for each athlete: 

• Number of portfolio companies  

• Number of investments  

• Number of partner investments  

• Net worth (collected from https://www.celebritynetworth.com/) 

Each athlete was then given a normalized score out of 10 based on how they performed in each of those factors. The more active athletes were at investing, the higher their score was.