Michael Jordan had vowed to donate his share of the proceeds from two lawsuit settlements, and on Tuesday he made good on that promise, donating millions to 23 not-for-profits aimed at helping Chicago children, according to Kim Janssen of the Chicago Tribune.
Jordan had sued supermarkets Dominick's and Jewel-Osco for using his name without permission in a 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated. A jury awarded Jordan $8.9 million from the case against Dominick's and he later reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount in the case against Jewel-Osco.
While it is unclear how much Jordan was awarded or how much he kept after legal fees, a source told the Tribune that Jordan still had "millions of dollars" left over that he could donate to the charities.
"I care deeply about the city of Chicago and have such incredible memories from my years there," Jordan said in a news release. "The 23 charities I've chosen to make donations to all support the health, education and well-being of the kids of Chicago. Chicago has given me so much and I want to give back to its kids — the city's future."
A spokesperson for Jordan said his staff had "a fun week" calling the charities to inform them of the donations.
The ad in question congratulated Jordan on his introduction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but included a logo for the supermarkets under the text.
