Table of Contents
Key Points
- Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman’s net worth surged to $1.4 billion in 2024, placing him among the few NBA stars turned billionaires.
- Despite modest NBA earnings, Bridgeman built a vast fortune through fast-food franchises, a Coca-Cola bottling company, and a 10% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.
- Bridgeman reinvested profits from Wendy’s franchises into beverages, scaling his Coca-Cola business to nearly $1 billion before acquiring a stake in the Bucks in 2024.
Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman has officially joined the ranks of U.S. Black billionaires, with his net worth surpassing $1 billion in 2024 and rising to $1.4 billion, according to Forbes. He now stands alongside Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James as one of the few NBA players to amass a billion-dollar fortune.
Bridgeman’s journey to wealth is remarkable. Raised in East Chicago, Indiana, the son of a steel mill worker and a stay-at-home mother, he played 12 seasons in the NBA—10 of them with the Milwaukee Bucks—after being part of the blockbuster trade that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers. Despite never earning more than $350,000 in a single season, he built a vast business empire that includes fast-food franchises, a Coca-Cola bottling company, and a 10% stake in the Bucks.
Bridgeman’s legacy: From hoops to wealth
Though he never won an NBA championship, Bridgeman spent his playing days preparing for life after basketball. He became a savvy businessman, acquiring and operating more than 500 fast-food franchises—including Wendy’s, Chili’s, and Pizza Hut—at his empire’s peak in 2015.
Bridgeman’s introduction to business came through advice from Jim Fitzgerald, the former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors. Fitzgerald convinced him to invest $150,000 in a startup cable company. A few years later, when Fitzgerald sold the business, Bridgeman walked away with $700,000—more than double his highest NBA salary. That early success strengthened their bond, and Fitzgerald shared a lesson Bridgeman never forgot: “If you’re going into business, you’ll only have two problems—people and money.”
Bridgeman expands wealth with Milwaukee Bucks
Armed with that wisdom, Bridgeman took a leap into the restaurant industry in 1987, investing $100,000 in a Wendy’s franchise in Brooklyn. It didn’t go smoothly. The business struggled, and a year later, a fire destroyed the restaurant. His partner in the venture, former NBA player and coach Paul Silas, pulled out, but Bridgeman refused to quit. He rebuilt the store, trained as a crew member to learn every aspect of the operation—including working the drive-thru—and turned things around. By 1989, he had sold the Wendy’s in Brooklyn and used the proceeds to buy five more struggling locations in Milwaukee for $150,000 each.
At the time, only one of those restaurants generated enough revenue to break even. Determined to turn them around, Bridgeman launched a local marketing blitz, advertising on TV and radio while personally handing out coupons. But it was his approach to leadership that made the biggest difference. He prioritized workplace culture, hiring ex-convicts, helping employees continue their education, and even bailing some out of jail when they needed a second chance. His hands-on strategy paid off. Over the next two decades, his restaurant portfolio grew to 520 franchises, generating $500 million in annual revenue at its peak.
In 2016, Bridgeman sold most of his restaurant empire and shifted his focus to the beverage industry, using his $250 million windfall to acquire a Coca-Cola distribution business. Over the next eight years, he scaled the company’s revenue to nearly $1 billion. Then, in September 2024, he took his wealth to the next level by acquiring a 10 percent stake in the Milwaukee Bucks, a deal that valued the team at $4 billion. At the time, his net worth was reportedly $600 million. Since then, his fortune has more than doubled to $1.4 billion, solidifying his place among U.S. Black billionaires.
