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Phil Knight
Nike · Portland, USA
Stanford MBA who decided the established sneaker world was beatable with story + speed.
Narrative brandingOutsider gritTalent betting
N
Company
Nike
Journey
Moves that mattered.
- 1964Imported Onitsuka Tiger shoes from the trunk of his car.
- 1971Rebranded to Nike — paid a student $35 for the Swoosh.
- 1984Signed Michael Jordan against everyone's advice.
- 2016Stepped down as chairman; Nike a $200B brand.
Struggles
Nearly bankrupt twice in the 70s; Japanese suppliers tried to cut him out.
Family
Married Penny; lost son Matthew in a 2004 diving accident.
Related on Empire
Keep reading inside Empire.
Around the web
External references & backlinks.
- ↗wikipedia.orgPhil Knight on Wikipedia
- ↗google.comNike — official site
- ↗news.google.comPhil Knight in the news
- ↗crunchbase.comNike on Crunchbase
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The full story
Phil Knight, in 1 chapters.
- Ch 01
The story
Stanford MBA who decided the established sneaker world was beatable with story + speed.
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