From the court, playing basketball, to cuisine, making burgers.
In a world where many professional athletes struggle with financial instability after retirement, one man has managed to break the mold and become a shining example of entrepreneurial success.
Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers from 1975 to 1987, has become a successful businessman after his sports career.
Bridgeman had a 12-year NBA career that was only somewhat successful. During those time, he was a sixth man and averaged double figures in scoring for nine consecutive seasons. Despite his solid performance, he never earned the money that NBA players earn today.
In 1985, the Clippers paid him his highest salary of $350,000. Before learning possible economic options outside of basketball, he understood the drawbacks of a brief career and poor income compared to many retiring athletes.
With that, Bridgeman bought his first Wendy’s franchise on a whim, worked at the front desk, and studied the industry from every perspective, laying the groundwork for his and his family’s future while other NBA players chilled out during the off-season.
Later, he had three Wendy’s franchises by the time his career ended and progressively increased the size of his company, Bridgeman Foods INC., during the following few years. The business now has over 160 Wendy’s and over 120 Chili’s franchises, with annual revenues exceeding $530 million.
Bridgeman is now the world’s second-largest Wendy’s franchise owner and is frequently listed as one of America’s most admired business leaders. Not only that, but he worked for more ventures as well.
Bridgeman signed a letter of intent to purchase a Canadian bottling business in 2018 after joining The Coca-Cola Company as a bottler in 2017. He now serves as the president and CEO of Coca-Cola Heartland, which has operations across most of Kansas with his son, Justin, a sizable section of Missouri, more than half of Illinois, and a minor area of Nebraska.
The current estimation of Junior Bridgeman’s net worth is $600 million. He is an example for athletes and businesspeople, demonstrating that taking advantage of chances and working hard may result in tremendous success. Because of that, he is currently a PGA Board of Directors member and enjoys playing golf when he’s not operating his fast food business.