When Michael Jordan finished up his career in the NBA, he was already one of the top paying athletes in any sport, and it’s only gotten bigger as he’s gotten further and further away from his playing days.
His image is just as important as the money he had coming in, which is why he chose carefully what products he would endorse.
According to a report from Business Insider, the Chicago Bulls legend once turned down an endorsement deal with Van Camp’s Beanee Weenees which is a pork and beans mix, not because he had something against pork & beans, but because he never used it and he didn’t like the name.
Per Business Insider:
In May 1992, Jordan did a lengthy interview with Playboy that was later reproduced at Longform. Mark Vancil asked Jordan about products he turned down, and His Airness revealed that he rejected one substantial offer because he did not use the product and did not like the name.
“Two or three years ago Quaker Oats came to me to endorse Van Kamp’s pork and beans—Beanee Weenees, I think it was called,” Jordan said. “You ever heard of Beanee Weenees pork and beans? It was close to a million bucks a year. I’m saying, Beanee Weenees? How can I stand in front of a camera and say I’ll eat Beanee Weenees?”
At the time he rejected Beanee Weenees, Jordan had made less than $4-5 million total in four or five NBA seasons. This was huge back then.
It’s safe to say he doersn’t regret his decision.
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In May 2018, Jordan’s net worth soared from a mere $350 Million To $1.65 Billion, according to Forbes.
