100 Entrepreneurs Who Changed The World
46. Phil Knight (1938- )
“It doesn’t matter how many people you offend, as long as you’re getting your message to your consumers. I say to those people who do not want to offend anybody: You are going to have a very, very difficult time having meaningful advertising.”
Phil Knight is an American businessman man and sportswear tycoon. Knight cofounded Nike, Inc. with his former track coach Bill Bowerman. Nike is a multinational conglomerate that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets sports apparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories. Just their sneakers, of which Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan’s are easily the most popular, bring in billions of dollars in sales. Knight is ranked as the 44th richest man alive, his net worth being over $22 billion. Nike is successful because they make good products, but also have always held the endorsement of legendary athletes like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Andre Agassi.
