Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan scored another victory…but not on a basketball court.
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The impact of Jordan’s fame was carefully examined as the jury was being selected.
The verdict came after fighting in the court for five years that entailed discussions of how Jordan established his name and a judge calling his demands as greedy.
“Once again, this was never about the money”, Jordan said Friday. Michael Jordan sued supermarket chain Safeway for the use of his name without his permission.
It also highlighted that the ad did not even sell since only two customers availed of the $2 dollar discount on their steaks.
Being that Jordan is in fact a billionaire, he really doesn’t need the $8.9 million, so it has been rumored that he plans on giving the entire settlement to charity. “This shows I will protect my name to the fullest”. One juror was struck from the pool after he called Jordan his idol.
During closing arguments, Frederick Sperling, Jordan’s lawyer, noted Jordan’s tremendous impact on Chicago.
“He gave us six championships”, he told jurors, Jordan sitting nearby.
Steven Mandell, the attorney for Dominick’s, also acknowledged Jordan’s contributions and wins.
A lawyer for Dominick’s declined to comment, the Sun-Times reports.
Evidence presented during trial provided a peek at Jordan’s extraordinary wealth, including the $480 million he made from Nike alone between 2000 to 2012.
Estee Portnoy was a witness in the case. So the sole unresolved issue was damages for the unauthorized ad in a 2009 Sports Illustrated.
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We’ll bet stores and other companies will think twice before using Jordan’s name without his permission from now on. You see rare photos of Michael and his father James, and hear the story about how Jordan used to ride to spring training, look over to the empty passenger seat and have daily “talks” with James.
