Michael Jordan met his first wife around the time when he was first drafted into the NBA. In 1989, Juanita Vanoy and Jordan exchanged their vows. In an interview with Vanity Fair Magazine, Jordan spoke about why he wanted to marry so early. Jordan said “That experience of being a husband and a father provided a balance and a focus away from basketball. I could have gotten myself in trouble, I don’t know what kind of trouble, but if I had been single, playing basketball, and making a lot of money, I could have made some wrong decisions.”
The pair officially split in 2006. Vanoy received $168 million in the divorce settlement. Multiple sources believe it to be the largest celebrity settlement at that time. The reason for the divorce is still under wraps. The official statement by the pair stated- ‘because of irreconcilable differences.’
It would have been an even bigger hit on Jordan’s pocket if the divorce had taken place in 2024. Adjusting the inflation cost for the current year, the amount is a staggering $257,014,166. Since Michael Jordan paid the reported amount of $168 million, he currently would have to pay an extra $89,014,166.
Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto riding the waves of marriage
Even after such a public separation, Michael Jordan was in love again. In 2013 he married his current wife, then long-time girlfriend Yvette Prieto. In 2014, Jordan became the first NBA player to become a billionaire. According to reports from Sportico, Jordan is the highest earning athlete of all time earning $3.75 Billion in 2024.
After public separation, Michael Jordan has kept his private life very secretive, and his wife Yvette Prieto does the same. The couple doesn’t seem to post on social media. Apart from a few public appearances, the media hardly captures them. According to Jordan’s in-depth 2013 interview with ESPN, their private security team gives the pair fake names to avoid unwanted attention.
Jordan and Prieto have agreed to a prenuptial agreement. If the couple filed for divorce before completing 10 years together, Prieto would earn $1 million per year. They completed their 10th-anniversary last year, and according to the agreement Prieto now will earn $5 million for every year the couple was together.
