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LeBron James has proved that taking his talents to <a href="http://www.blazepizza.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=espn-lebrons-stake-in-blaze-pizza-chain-now-worth-at-least-35-million-2703414" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blaze Pizza</a> was a good idea. According to an <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20149593/lebron-james-stake-blaze-pizza-chain-now-worth-least-35-million?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=espn-lebrons-stake-in-blaze-pizza-chain-now-worth-at-least-35-million-2703414" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ESPN article</a>, the NBA star and his business partners have turned a $1 million investment into one that&rsquo;s worth $25 million. And when that&rsquo;s combined with James&rsquo; endorsement payments, his stake in Blaze is worth $35 million.

The news comes after Blaze Pizza sold an undisclosed percentage of the company to the private equity firm Brentwood Associates. That move earned the brand at a valuation of around $250 million.

&ldquo;LeBron and I have always been about finding companies that we truly believe in and putting real money into them,&rdquo; said James&rsquo; business partner Maverick Carter. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not talking putting in $15,00 or $20,000. It&rsquo;s real money plus the expertise, understanding and knowledge that we bring, as well as bringing LeBron&rsquo;s name and likeness to the product.&rdquo;

James first invested in Blaze Pizza back in 2012, just one year after Rick and Elise Wetzel dreamed up the idea for the make-your-own pizza concept. The move immediately gave Blaze a sense of star power that has been fueling its development efforts ever since.

Wetzel said, &ldquo;When he invested in us so early on, he established us as the market leader. He put a star on our forehead as a company that was legitimate.&rdquo; Wetzel&rsquo;s wife, Elise, continued, &ldquo;Every time LeBron tweets about Blaze, it&rsquo;s like a sonic boom. It jump-starts the conversation with tens of millions of people in the U.S. and around the world and leads to a genuine interaction between people who know and love the brand and people who haven&rsquo;t heard of us.&rdquo;

<a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20149593/lebron-james-stake-blaze-pizza-chain-now-worth-least-35-million?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=espn-lebrons-stake-in-blaze-pizza-chain-now-worth-at-least-35-million-2703414" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read the original article.

ESPN: Lebron’s Stake in Blaze Pizza Chain Now Worth at least $35 million

1851 Franchise

The NBA star first invested $1 million in the brand alongside his business partners in 2012.

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Preservan

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ESPN: Lebron’s Stake in Blaze Pizza Chain Now Worth at least $35 million

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