Junior Bridgeman’s Net Worth 2024: How He Earns His Worth?
| Net Worth in 2024 | $600 Million |
| Income Source | Business, Sports |
| Real Name | Ulysses Lee “Junior” Bridgeman |
| Famous Name | Junior Bridgeman |
| Birth Place | East Chicago, Indiana, United States |
| Birthday | 17 September 1953 |
| Age/How old? | 70 years old |
| Height/How tall? | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Occupation | former professional basketball player |
| Spouse | Doris Griffith |
| Nationality | American |
| Info Updated | December 2024 |
Junior Bridgeman’s Net Worth & Salary
Junior Bridgeman is an American former professional basketball player and businessman.
As of 2024, Junior Bridgeman‘s net worth is estimated at $600 million. As a basketball player, his maximum salary was only $350,000.
However, Junior made most of his fortune after retirement as an entrepreneur. He invested in a franchise of a restaurant chain named Wendy’s.
Apart from this, he also bought 120 locations of Chilli and a bottling plant for cold drink Coca-Cola.
Moreover, Bridgeman got ranked the fourth wealthiest retired athlete in the world by Forbes in 2016, with an estimated income of $32 million.
Junior Bridgeman‘s Annual and Monthly Income
| Annual Income | USD 30 million |
| Monthly Income And Salary | USD 2.5 million + |
| Weekly Earnings | USD 577K + |
| Daily income | USD 82K + |
Junior Bridgeman‘s Net Worth Estimates
| Net Worth Year | Total Income |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $600 million |
| 2021 | $575 million |
| 2020 | $540 million |
| 2019 | $500 million |
| 2018 | $470 million |
How did Junior Bridgeman‘s Net worth reach $600 Million?
Junior Bridgeman‘s net worth
$600 Million
But how does all this fame and popularity convert into cold hard cash?
What sort of worth does this famous NBA Player make?
So, let’s dive deep to discover Junior Bridgeman‘s net worth and how much this celebrity made his fortune.
Basketball career
Junior Bridgeman started playing basketball at the University of Louisville as a guard and forward.
He became the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1974 and 1975.
He led the team to the 1974 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.
Unfortunately, the team lost the following year’s tournament in the National Semi-Final by 75-74.
As of college statistics, Bridgeman averaged 15.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 87 games.
In 1975, Junior got selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1975 NBA draft in the 1st round and 8th overall pick.
Later, he got traded to Milwaukee Bucks for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley.
He got trained under Coach Larry Costello averaging 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in the playing season 1975-1976.
In 1976, Bridgeman scored a career-high 41 points in a 129-125 loss against Boston.
In April 1981, the Bucks played against the Philadelphia 76ers in a Game 1 Eastern Conference Semifinals, where Junior scored a career playoff-high 32 points and six assists.
After that, In 1984, Bridgeman got traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce, and Craig Hodges. He spent two years with the Clippers and returned to Bucks.
Retirement
Junior played around 711 games for the Milwaukee Bucks in his 12-year NBA career.
In 1987, he decided to retire from professional basketball.
According to his career statistics, he scored 11,517 points, 2,995 rebounds, and 2,066 assists.
From 1985 to 1988, Bridgeman served as the president of the National Basketball Players Association.
However, he later resigned from the position after the 1988 CBA and the controversy of the antitrust lawsuit.
As an Entrepreneur
After retirement, Junior Bridgeman invested in the business model of Wendy’s fast food restaurant franchise.
He owned over 160 various Chilli’s and Wendy’s restaurants and later sold them in 2016.
Junior became the second largest owner of Wendy’s franchise, having over 11,000 employees.
In 2017, Bridgeman owned a bottling plant for The Coca-Cola Company.
Moreover, he signed a letter of consent for bottling operations in Canada in 2018.
Junior is currently the president and CEO of Coca-Cola Heartland, which services Missouri, Kansas, and Southern Illinois territories.
In 2020, he bought Jet and Ebony magazines that went bankrupt for $14 million.
Who is Junior Bridgeman? Biography
Junior Bridgeman is a 70-year-old American former professional basketball player and businessman. He is well known for being the owner of Ebony and Jet magazine.
As of December 2024, Junior Bridgeman’s net worth is $600 million. His net worth figure makes him the wealthiest former athlete in the world.
Bridgeman began his basketball career after getting selected in the 1975 NBA Draft’s first round and 8th overall pick by Los Angeles Lakers.
He got traded to Milwaukee Bucks and played for the team from 1975 to 1984. Junior also played for Los Angeles Clippers for two years before returning to Bucks.
Additionally, he served as the president of the National Basketball Players Association from 1985 to 1988.
Aside from basketball, he is the President and CEO of Bridgeman Foods Inc. The company operates over 160 Wendy’s restaurant franchises across the country.
Moreover, Junior bought the bottling plant for The Coca-Cola Company and signed a deal for bottling operations in Canada in 2018.
In 2020, Bridgeman bought Ebony and Jet for $14 million after the magazines got declared bankrupt.
Junior Bridgeman’s Age & Birthday
Junior Bridgeman was born on 17th September 1953 in East Chicago, Indiana, as Ulysses Lee “Junior” Bridgemen. According to his date of birth, Junior Bridgeman is 70 years old.
His father worked as a blue-collar steel mill worker in East Chicago. As a teen, Junior was interested in playing basketball.
He also has a brother named Samuel Bridgeman.
He played for his high school team and led them to the Indiana state championship in 1971 with an undefeated record of 29-0.
Bridgeman later played as a guard and forward for his college team at the University of Louisville.
Education
Junior Bridgeman attended East Chicago Washington High School for studies. He later enrolled at the University of Louisville.
Junior Bridgeman‘s Height, Weight, and Physical Stats
Do you want to know the physical appearance, height, and weight of Junior Bridgeman? Have a look below:
| Height | 6 ft 5 inch (1.95 m) |
| Weight | 98 Kg or 216 lbs |
| Race | Black |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Shoe/Feet Size | 11 US |
Junior Bridgeman’s Wife & Kids
Jr. Bridgeman got married to his college love Doris Griffith in 1975.
They live happily together and are parents of three adult children; Eden Bridgeman, Justin Bridgeman, and Ryan Bridgeman.
All his children have MBAs and are involved in the family business.
Summary
Junior Bridgeman is an Indiana-based former professional basketball player and businessman. He got famous for playing with Milwaukee Bucks from 1975 to 1984.
Junior started playing basketball for his high school and college.
He pursued his dream of being a professional player after getting drafted in the 1975 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, he later played for two NBA teams Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, in his 12-year NBA career.
After retirement, Bridgeman invested in Wendy’s and Chilli’s restaurant franchises.
He became one of the wealthiest retired athletes, with his company’s revenue of over $500 million.
In 2020, Junior purchased two bankrupt magazines, Ebony, and Jet, for $14 million.
As of December 2024, Junior Bridgeman has a net worth of $600 million.
Quick Recap
Ulysses Lee “Junior” Bridgeman (born 17 September 1953), professionally known as Junior Bridgeman, is a former American professional basketball player & businessman.
Born on 17 September 1953, Junior Bridgeman is 70 years old as of 2024.
As of 2024, Junior Bridgeman‘s net worth is estimated at $600 million. All his wealth has come from the field of sports and the business industry.
Junior Bridgeman is tall, a former American professional basketball player who stands at 6 feet 5 inches (1.95 m).
As mentioned by a number of sources, Junior Bridgeman makes an average of $50 million per year.
Source of Information
