More than two years since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, his widow, Vanessa, is still reeling from the untimely demise of the basketball legend.
The mum-of-four and philanthropist, who lost her daughter Gianna in the same tragic helicopter crash that killed her husband, recently made headlines as a jury awarded her a multimillion-dollar settlement in her lawsuit against Los Angeles County over the inappropriate handling and photo-taking by its emergency responders. People reported that the images were very emotionally distressing.
Before this recent hefty settlement, Vanessa was already worth hundreds of millions of dollars. How much is the 40 year old worth now, and what else is there to know about her sources of wealth?
Vanessa Bryant’s net worth is reportedly US$600 million
At the time of his death, Forbes estimated Kobe’s net worth at around US$600 million. Kobe and Vanessa reportedly had no prenuptial agreement, hence they share the same wealth. Celebrity Net Worth has Vanessa’s net worth at the same figure of US$600 million today.
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The Bryants’ fortune was mostly built on the basketball legend’s on- and off-the-court earnings. Vanessa’s late husband made more than US$300 million in salary alone with the Los Angeles Lakers, per Market Watch. He also had endorsement deals with global brands such as Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz.
She is the executor of the Bryant estate
Per MarketWatch, Vanessa is the executor of the Bryant estate. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if her net worth ballooned even more, given all the wins that Kobe also had off the court.
In 2013, he started a US$100 million venture capital firm with Jeff Stibel called Bryant Stibel. The partnership works closely with Dun & Bradstreet and has stakes across various tech and media companies such as Dell, Alibaba and Epic Games, among others.
In 2014, Kobe invested around US$4 million to US$6 million in then-start-up sports drink BodyArmor, per Forbes. In 2021, CNBC reported that BodyArmor was sold to Coca-Cola for US$5.6 billion. This sale alone netted the Kobe Bryant Estate, headed by Vanessa, an estimate of US$400 million.
She was front and centre of the negotiations with Nike
When the basketball superstar’s post-retirement contract with the shoe brand was set to expire in 2021, it was reported the Kobe Bryant Estate and Nike couldn’t agree on a new deal. Talks allegedly stalled when the estate asked Nike to produce a higher volume of the Kobe line.
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A year later, Vanessa announced through an Instagram post that the partnership with Nike would continue. “With this new partnership, fans will soon be able to have access to Kobe and Gigi Nike products for years to come,” she shared.
She was awarded millions of dollars
In recent news, Vanessa was unanimously awarded US$15 million by a jury for her complaint against Los Angeles County for their alleged sharing of the photos from the January 2020 helicopter crash and its victims.
LA Times reported that Vanessa plans to donate the proceeds to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.
She received support from fans but earned the ire of some onlookers
Throughout this whole ordeal, the philanthropist widow has received a mix of both support and criticism, with the latter stemming from the recent court win. LA County taxpayers’ money will be used to pay the estate given that they fund the sheriff and fire services.
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Vanessa, on the other hand, has also received support from Hollywood singers and friends Ciara and Monica. Some of Kobe’s fans have also gone out to show support to the NBA legend’s widow as well.
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