5 Athletes Who Became Franchisees

Professional athletes, regardless of their sport, work their entire lives to make it to the top. Countless hours in the gym and on the court, field or pitch, all for the chance to make a living playing the game they love. Less than two years ago, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year, $503 million contract — the richest contract in American sports history.

When you come into that money, the biggest question is what you’ll do with it. And not just what you’ll spend it on, but how you’ll make it work for you.

For decades, one of the ways professional athletes have invested their millions has been in franchises.

Here are five athletes who became as successful as franchisees as they were as athletes.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? Kobe or LeBron James? The debate over the greatest basketball player of all time continually rages in the NBA. But when it comes to NBA franchisees, there’s no debate.

Magic Johnson is the G.O.A.T.

The 12-time All-Star, five-time NBA champion and three-time MVP for the Los Angeles Lakers launched Magic Johnson Enterprises, his investment firm, in 1989. Since then, the firm has owned multiple franchises, including Burger King, 24-Hour Fitness, Starbucks and TGI Friday’s. In 2010, Johnson sold his 105 franchises back to Starbucks — more than most franchisees could ever dream of owning in the first place.

Speaking of franchises: He’s also co-owner of the Major League Baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Football Club.

With an estimated net worth of $600 million, he’s arguably the most successful athlete-turned-businessperson of all time.

G.O.A.T.

Drew Brees 

Magic is a tough act to follow, but former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is a wildly successful franchisee in his own right.

The 13-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion is well-known in the franchise industry for his investments in Jimmy John’s, Dunkin and Stretch Zone, among others, and is also co-owner and partner at Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, which has more than 50 locations in nine states and plans to open 20 more in 2022.

So Brees should be just fine in retirement.

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq Daddy. Shaq Diesel. The Big Aristotle. Shaq likely has the most n nicknames in sports history.

We think it’s safe to add The Big Franchisee to that list.

Known for his size and physicality on the court, the four-time NBA champion is now being recognized for his dominance off the court after retiring from the NBA in 2011. Franchise Wire reported in 2021 that Shaq owned 17 Auntie Annie’s Pretzels restaurants, nine Papa John’s, one Krispy Kreme and one Big Chicken restaurant, a concept he founded in 2018 and that is being franchised. He was also formerly part owner of 155 Five Guys restaurants.

Those are some big names for one of the biggest stars in NBA history.

Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman burst onto the NFL scene in 2013 with the Seattle Seahawks as a cornerstone member of the Legion of Boom, the secondary group that led the Seahawks that year to its first Super Bowl title. Wanting to invest his money while further connecting with the Seattle community, he followed in former teammate Sydney Rice’s footsteps and opened his first Wingstop location in 2016.

Today, having moved on to play with the San Francisco 49ers and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, Sherman owns two Wingstop locations in Seattle and is still heavily involved in the community.

Adrian Gonzalez 

From 2004 to 2018, Adrian Gonzalez played Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, making five All-Star teams and winning four Gold Gloves.

In 2018, Gonzalez joined the Jersey Mike’s Subs team as the owner of six franchise locations in San Diego County, where he once played.

“Coming up in the baseball world, subs were a big part of our meals,” said Gonzalez. “The first time I tried Jersey Mike’s, I told my wife it was such a good sub, she had to try it. I love the fresh ingredients and how everything is sliced right in front of you. Everyone agrees Jersey Mike’s is a top sub sandwich enterprise.”

According to Forbes, Gonzalez had 11 Jersey Mike’s locations as of November 2020.