Junior Bridgeman's $1.4 billion empire: How Bucks co-owner turned $350,000 NBA salary into business juggernaut

Former NBA player-turned-billionaire Junior Bridgeman passed away on March 11 after suffering a heart attack during an event. Bridgeman is one of four billionaire basketball players along with Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Magic Johnson. But how did a role player make it big in the business world?

According to Forbes, Bridgeman had an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion in February. It was mainly due to his Coca-Cola bottling business, as well as his continued ownership of hundreds of fast food restaurants and a couple of media companies.

Bridgeman is also a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, the team he played for 10 seasons before becoming an entrepreneurial wizard that many former and current NBA players look up to. With all that said, let's look at how the late, great business built his billion-dollar empire.

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Junior Bridgeman's NBA career

Junior Bridgeman's NBA career. (Photo: IMAGN)

After an outstanding career at Louisville, the LA Lakers selected Junior Bridgeman with the No. 8 pick in the 1975 NBA Draft. However, Bridgeman never played for the Lakers and was part of the package sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In 10 seasons with the Bucks, Bridgeman turned into one of the best sixth men in the league, a time wherein there was no award for players like him. He averaged 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 seasons in Milwaukee. He also played two seasons with the LA Clippers after seven years with the Bucks.

Bridgeman played 12 seasons in total in the NBA, with his last coming in Milwaukee in 1987. Per ESPN's Baxter Holmes, he retired after making an estimated $2.95 million and never more than $350,000 in a season. He used his earnings from basketball to start his business career.

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Initial investments made by Junior Bridgeman

One of Junior Bridgeman's initial investments was in a startup cable company owned by then-Milwaukee bucks owner Jim Fitzgerald. He invested $150,000, which turned into $700,00 only a few years later. Fitzgerald served as his mentor, giving him valuable advice as he was starting his post-playing life.

Bridgeman then partnered with fellow NBA player Paul Silas in purchasing a Wendy's restaurant for $100,000. It was not a good investment as they both lost money, with Silas leaving Bridgeman to deal with the failure.

The Bucks great didn't give up and turned that restaurant into a profitable business, which eventually led to him purchasing more. But it wasn't an overnight success, and Bridgeman had to learn a lot over the years.

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Turning $350,000 a season to $1.4 billion

One of the reasons why Junior Bridgeman's investment into his first Wendy's failed was his lack of knowledge on how to be a business owner. Bridgeman did his best to learn everything he could about running a successful business. He also opened his heart and mind by hiring former convicts and giving them second chances.

It paid off for Bridgeman as he turned his initial investment into hundreds of fast-food restaurants. At its peak in 2015, he reportedly had over 520 franchises under his name. He sold the majority of it for an estimated $250 million, turning his attention to the bottling business.

With the practices he learned over the years, Bridgeman formed the Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company in 2017, which had territory in three states and into Canada.

In September 2024, Bridgeman purchased a 10% stake in the Bucks. By February, Bridgeman's net worth had surpassed $1.4 billion, per Forbes.

Unlike Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Magic Johnson, he didn't have any of the fame to make himself a brand.

Instead, Bridgeman worked hard from scratch, learned from his mistakes and helped communities build a billion-dollar empire. With his passing, his children are expected to continue what he created and turn it into something bigger.