Is LeBron James Really A Billionaire?

[{"selector":"#anim-38986172-162f-4419-957d-553e937ac5c5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c0fd973-04de-4db8-8fc7-b4a6b3907209","keyframes":[{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":0},{"transform":"scale(1.5)","offset":0.33},{"transform":"scale(0.95)","offset":0.66},{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":1}],"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] You may have seen an article bouncing around the web yesterday from Forbes in which LeBron James was "officially" anointed billionaire status.

[{"selector":"#anim-e89aca76-95a5-4cd5-a83a-e034b7835b48 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cc05d4cd-c2af-4b8b-b48f-eb70be0a19eb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04dd12f2-d061-4ce8-b00c-180980ac42b8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In the 24 hours since their article went live, hundreds of very respectable news outlets, from ESPN to the Wall Street Journal, have parroted the claim.

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[{"selector":"#anim-2199066f-f5b2-4831-ba57-f7ebfd9f3747 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(2.831875970640457%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4ffb8f39-913d-4f78-964b-c8865e234ca7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8dd1d126-4008-4fd7-a241-0c218145e005","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.28663%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In our opinion (and we have been tracking LeBron James' net worth longer than any publication in existence), LeBron James is not a billionaire at the moment.

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[{"selector":"#anim-2e972bb0-ec65-4842-9e09-17b103ae7ad2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff3a0753-a2a9-40d9-a3ee-6bc2801ebef0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8b9212db-f423-41d4-afd6-f53c6d096103","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] According to our ranking of the richest athletes in the world, depending on who you think qualifies as an "athlete," there are four billionaire athletes on the planet:

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[{"selector":"#anim-13da282a-bc0a-42c4-b03a-d18f6a12c26c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-8.573072245746149%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-165503f1-f9c6-449a-b5d5-a879abcc96fe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dd84d463-47f0-4bc2-9721-5bf504afe489","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Let me preface this by making it clear that we're not just trying to be haters here. I would LOVE to be able to write an article today declaring LeBron James officially has become a billionaire.