Philip Knight is the founder and current CEO of Nike. According to Forbes, Philip Knight is the 60th richest man in the world with a fortune estimated at $ 12.7 billion.
Phil Knight has earned his net worth as a true entrepreneur. He got his start while in Kobe, Japan through a business arrangement with Mr. Onitsuka and began selling Tiger Running Shoes by Kobe in the Western U.S. and after sending a couple of pairs to Bill Bowerman, they decided to go into business together. That was the birth of Blue Ribbon Sports. In the beginning Phil Knight was selling running shoes out of his car, which was so successful that he ended up working full time for Blue Ribbon Sports, which is now known as Nike.
The Swoosh – Nike Logo History
In 1971, Phil Knight created the name Nike, name of Greek goddess, Nike, which symbolizes the victory. Nike is the goddess of strength, speed, and victory. The same year, a graphic art student, Carolyn Davidson designed the logo of Nike, for $ 35! This symbol, the swoosh, a comma inversed and horizontally, is correlated with the brand name. In fact the Greek goddess in mythology was represented as winged deity able to move at high speed, and comma represents these wings.
“Phil” as a Philanthropist
He is believed to have contributed approximately $230 million to the University of Oregon, the majority of which was for athletics. On August 18, 2007, Knight announced that he and his wife, Penny, would be donating an additional $100 million to the University of Oregon Athletics Legacy Fund.
In 2006, Phil Knight donated $105 million to the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also provided monetary support to his high school alma mater, Cleveland High School, for its new track, football field, and gymnasium.
In October 2008, Phil and Penny Knight pledged $100 million to the OHSU Cancer Institute, the largest gift in the history of Oregon Health & Science University, renamed Oregon Health Sciences University in 1981. In recognition, the university renamed the organization the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
References:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Knight
- http://www.4-traders.com/business-leaders/Philip-Knight-241/biography/
- http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/ceos/phil-knight-net-worth/
