Phil Knight (b. 1938)

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Biography

Philip Hampson Knight is an American billionaire businessman who is the co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc., a global sports equipment and apparel company. He was previously its chairman and CEO. As of October 2025, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$35.4 billion. He is also the owner of the stop motion film production company Laika. Knight is a graduate of the University of Oregon and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was part of the track and field club under coach Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon with whom he would later co-found Nike.

Timeline

The story of Phil Knight, told in moments.

1962 Life

Wrote a Stanford MBA paper arguing that cheap Japanese running shoes could compete with German brands like Adidas. He flew to Japan and cut a deal with Onitsuka Tiger.

Did your Stanford professors take that Japanese shoes paper seriously? What was it like flying to Japan on a hunch? How much courage did cutting that Onitsuka deal take?

1964 Event

Co-founded Blue Ribbon Sports with Bowerman. They each put in $500. Knight sold shoes out of the trunk of his green Plymouth Valiant at track meets.

What was it like selling shoes out of a car trunk? Did you and Bowerman argue about the business? Was $500 each enough to believe in?

1971 Event

Renamed the company Nike. A Portland State design student, Carolyn Davidson, created the Swoosh logo. She was paid $35. Knight later gave her stock and a diamond ring.

Why did you pay Carolyn Davidson only $35? Was giving her stock later guilt or gratitude? When did Nike stop being a gamble?

1984 Event

Signed Michael Jordan to a $2.5 million deal. Air Jordan shoes earned $126 million in the first year. The brand eventually grew to over $5 billion annually.

Did you know signing Jordan would change everything? Was $2.5 million terrifying for a shoe company? How does $126 million in year one feel?

Artifacts (15)

Fifty Ways to Stuff the Planet

50 simple things that you can do to make sure that Climate Change happens in our lifetime; how easy they are, how much they're likely to cost and how much they might annoy your neighbours. All of this...

2008

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Strangled: Identity, Status, Structure and The Stranglers

The Stranglers occupy a paradoxical position within the history of popular music. Although major artists within the punk and new-wave movements, their contribution to those genres has been effectively...

2015

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Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

In this instant and tenacious New York Times bestseller, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight “offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh” (Booklist,...

2016

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Nunca te pares: Autobiografía del fundador de Nike

La historia jamás contada detrás de Nike, la marca deportiva más icónica del mundo, narrada por su creador. Uno de los libros favoritos de Bill Gates de 2016. Phil Knight, director general de Nike,...

2016

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L'arte della vittoria

Giovane, curioso, fresco di laurea in economia, Phil Knight prende a prestito cinquanta dollari dal padre e crea un'azienda con un obiettivo semplice: importare dal Giappone scarpe da atletica...

2016

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A marca da vitória: A autobiografia do criador da Nike

Da lista de mais vendidos do The New York Times. “Verdadeira, engraçada, literária, cheia de suspense – esta é uma biografia para quem ama esportes e, sobretudo, para quem ama biografias.” – André...

2016

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Shoe Dog: het verhaal van de oprichter van Nike

Autobiografie van de grootste sportschoenenmaker ter wereld Phil Knight richtte in 1964 samen met hardloopcoach Bill Bowerman Blue Ribbon Sports op, in het begin als distributeur voor de Japanse...

2016

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Shoe Dog: Young Readers Edition

“An eye-opening look into the story of Knight before his multibillion dollar company.” —School Library Journal “A great story about how an ambition turned into a business…serves as a guide for...

2017

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L'art de la victoire

Fondateur de Nike, dont il fut le P-DG de 1964 à 2004 puis le président du conseil d'administration jusqu'en 2016, Phil Knight, l'homme derrière le « swoosh », la virgule, est toujours resté dans...

2017

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A Nike-sztori: A legendás márka alapítójának önéletrajza

A friss diplomás, útkereső Phil Knight az apjától kölcsönzött 50 dollárból indította el cégét. Jó minőségű, olcsó futócipőket importált Japánból, amelyeket az autója csomagtartójából árusított. Az...

2018

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A Nike-sztori: (Ifjúsági változat)

A Nike alapítójának izgalmas élettörténetéből megtudhatjuk, hogyan valósította meg Phil Knight kezdetben „őrültnek” tűnő ötletét, és hogyan vált a Nike a világ egyik leginnovatívabb és legnépszerűbb...

2019

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Nunca Pares: Autobiografía Del Fundador de Nike / Shoe Dog: a Memoir by the Creator of Nike

"Phil Knight nos habla por primera vez de la auténtica historia que hay detrás de Nike, la empresa que fundó en 1962, que hoy en día factura más de 30.000 millones de dólares al año, y cuyo logo ha...

2018

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A marca da vitória – A autobiografia do criador da Nike para jovens empreendedores

Seguindo esse conselho precioso que deu a si mesmo, Phil Knight se transformou de um jovem em dúvida sobre seu futuro – mas com uma ideia genial – em criador de uma das marcas mais conhecidas e...

2019

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Ancient Lives of Vergil

1879

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Vitae Vergilianae. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner

1912

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