Magic Johnson — Perhaps the most famous, admired and successful athlete-turned-businessman, Ervin Johnson, Jr. won five NBA titles in eight title appearances in 10 years. In retirement, MJ has accrued arguably more success than he did on the hardtop, founding Magic Enterprises that owned a chain of restaurants, theaters and coffee shops before selling his stake in many of them later on. He has surpassed Michael Jordan as the richest living athlete with earnings in excess of $600 million, something that most could not have predicted.
