How Much Has Kobe Bryant’s Estate Earned After His Death?

Since his tragic death in January, Kobe Bryant’s estate has raked in millions.

Forbes reports Bryant’s estate earned $20 million from shoes and apparel alone.

After his death on January 26, Nike immediately sold out of Mamba merchandise. In August, Nike released colorways of the Kobe V Protro and a limited-edition jersey to honor Bryant’s legacy.

Last month, Kobe’s jersey was the second-best seller for the Lakers organization after the team won the championship. Kobe was behind only LeBron James.

Bryant’s 2018 autobiography “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” also sold more than 300,000 copies this year, 10 times more than last year.

Kobe was #6 on Forbes’ highest-paid dead celebrities of 2020. Michael Jackson, who died in 2009, earned $48 million this year, earning him the top spot. According to Forbes, 70% of Jackson’s earnings came from a long-term deal with Sony and his music catalog.

Bryant was reportedly worth $600 million at the time of his death, thanks to his business investments and a 20-year NBA career.

According to BodyArmor founder Mike Repole, Kobe's widow Vanessa has inherited control of his stake in the company.

In 2013, Bryant invested $5 million to acquire a 10% stake in the sports drink brand, which is well on its way to surpassing $1 billion in retail revenue by the end of this year.

Repole told Fox Business, “I lost a dear friend. I lost a brother with Kobe and BodyArmor lost a founding father. Kobe Bryant's fingerprints are all over the BodyArmor brand. The brand wouldn't be in the position it's in if Kobe wasn't a believer back in 2012 and 2013.”

By 2018, Kobe's stake was reportedly worth $200 million after Repole made a deal with Coca-Cola, valuing his company at $2 billion.

According to UFC president Dana White, Kobe received an investment payout from the company just days before his death. He told TMZ, “Kobe got a distribution from the UFC the Wednesday before the incident and he was so pumped up and excited and he said what everybody always says: 'I wish I had invested more!'"

The amount of the payout is unknown, but White emphasized that 2019 was the company's “best year.”

Months before his death, Kobe opened up about his decision to invest. He told USA Today, “I understand the importance of building value and being smart with your finances.”