Even though former NBA star Michael Jordan retired from basketball several years ago, he’s still raking in millions of dollars. Jordan was recently awarded $8.9 million by a judge in America after a former supermarket chain was found guilty of using his name in an unauthorized advertisement back in 2009. The store that used his name without permission was called Dominick’s and based in Chicago. However, the establishment is now defunct and is owned by Safeway. The judge ordered the store to pay the sum after a jury found it guilty.

The Associated Press reported that the jury recommended the amount of money owed to Jordan. After the case was decided, Jordan releases a press statement which said he was happy with the verdict and nobody should have to worry about having their identity being used by others regardless if they’re a public figure or not. He said the case wasn’t about the money, but the principle of the matter. He added that he’ll be donating the financial award to charity in Chicago. He went on to say that he hopes the verdict sends a loud message to companies around the world that he’ll always protect his identity and name. He believes the size of the award will help to deter others in the future.
The lawsuit was a civil trial and it focused on the current market value of the ex-basketball star’s identity.

Jordan’s lawyers were looking for $10 million and they weren’t far off the mark. It’s believed Jordan will receive the money even though Dominick’s Finer Foods is now about of business. This is because Safeway actually owned the chain of supermarkets. The ad itself appeared in an edition of Sports Illustrated magazine and it congratulated the former Chicago Bulls icon on being inducted into the Hall of Fame. It also featured a coupon for $2 off of a steak.

It took the jury six hours to come to the figure of $8.9 million and at one point they sent the judge a note asking for a calculator. Steven Mandell, the lawyer for Dominick’s, stated to the jurors that the company was proud of Jordan’s basketball accomplishments, but his lawyers overvalued his name in the case. Mandell told the jury that the award to Jordan shouldn’t be any higher than $126,900. The evidence presented in court showed just how wealthy Jordan is and stated that he was paid $480 million just in sponsorship money by Nike between 2000 and 2012. This amount was on top of his salary and other endorsements.