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Yao Ming Net Worth in 2024
All about Yao Ming’s Net Worth. Read about his salary, career earnings, brand endorsements, investments and more on Pinkvilla.
Yao Ming was born in Shanghai on September 12, 1980, and was a professional basketball player in China. He was a center in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets.
The Chinese giant, standing at a towering height of 7 feet 6 inches, made history by becoming the first non-American player to top the NBA All-Star voting. Multiple reports suggest that even in his ninth grade, he was already an impressive six feet tall. During that same year, Yao inked a deal with the Shanghai youth team and quickly gained fame as a standout player for the Shanghai Sharks at just 17 years old.
He spent five years as a player in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Shanghai Sharks. After playing for the Sharks, his career changed when the Houston Rockets selected him with the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. Ming has been named an NBA All-Star eight times and a team member five times. He is the sixth president of the Chinese Basketball Association now.
What is Yao Ming’s Net Worth?
In 2024, Yao Ming, a retired professional basketball player from China, has a net worth of $180 million. He was a player for the Houston Rockets and Shanghai Sharks.
How Tall is Yao Ming?
During his final season in the NBA, Yao stood as the tallest active player at 7 feet 6 inches. More than 200 million Chinese watched Yao play in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 9, 2007, which also featured Yi Jianlian, another Chinese player. This game remains one of the most watched games in the history of NBA till now.
Yao Ming’s Salary and Career Earnings
In his last season, Yao received the highest salary of his career—$17.6 million—from the Rockets. His total NBA salary was estimated to be around $93 million. Through investments and brand endorsements, he made and still makes a lot more money.
| Season | Team | Salary |
| 2002-03 | Houston Rockets | $3,858,240 |
| 2003-04 | Houston Rockets | $4,147,560 |
| 2004-05 | Houston Rockets | $4,436,880 |
| 2005-06 | Houston Rockets | $5,594,906 |
| 2006-07 | Houston Rockets | $12,455,000 |
| 2007-08 | Houston Rockets | $13,762,775 |
| 2008-09 | Houston Rockets | $15,070,550 |
| 2009-10 | Houston Rockets | $16,378,325 |
| 2010-11 | Houston Rockets | $17,686,100 |
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Yao Ming’s Brand Endorsements
Yao also had the opportunity to make money by endorsing brands because he is a well-known figure in the basketball community. Ming signed numerous endorsement contracts with various companies, such as Apple, McDonald's, Reebok, Visa, and Garmin. In 2010, Sports Illustrated reported that Ming's endorsement revenue amounted to USD 34.37 million.
The NBA player was able to ink multimillion-dollar contracts with several well-known international businesses. Furthermore, Ming's arrival into the NBA created a phenomenon that the league had never seen before.
Regarding brand endorsements, Yao Ming encountered several globally recognized brands. Yao Ming was signed by the massive technology company Apple in 2003 for their new TV commercials.
The renowned shoemaker Reebok and the basketball sensation entered a multi-year partnership valued at US$70 million in the same year. The business already has the rights to create, produce, and sell NBA team apparel for 19 NBA teams.
Yao inked a multi-year contract with McDonald's, the biggest restaurant chain in the world, in 2004. They contacted a well-known figure in China to enlist him in the company's international advertising campaigns.
The professional basketball player was signed by Garmin in 2005 to appear in print and television advertisements for the company's GPS devices. One of the top producers of consumer navigation devices and other tech goods is Garmin.
Yao Ming Investments
Yao Ming has expanded his revenue and business network by investing in multiple portfolios. He continued to build his business empire by making investments in various industries. With the opening of a family restaurant and investments in a few publicly traded companies, his investment portfolio is probably going to expand over time.
Yeeha Restaurant in Shanghai and Yao Restaurant in Houston are owned by Ming. He invested US$1.5 million in the Yao Bar and Restaurant. Yao was trying to get into the food and beverage industry.
In addition, Yao Ming established Yao Family Wines in California in 2009. Subsequently, he invested in Byejoe, a private company owned by American and Chinese investors. Yao Ming made a USD 3 million investment in the music website "Top 100" in 2006. However, the website's closure for several reasons meant that the deal was a failure.
In February 2014, he co-founded the NBA Yao Basketball Club with NBA China. It seeks to provide boys and girls with basketball and fitness instruction. Ming also owned 0.6% of the shares of Shanghai-based exhibition company Ablues Design.
Other Sources of Income
One of the most well-liked and prosperous basketball players in the world is Yao Ming. In addition to his NBA career as a professional, the Houston Rockets center has several sources of income. Yao Ming has additional sources of income in addition to the ones listed above.
Yao Ming is a co-founder of the Chinese private equity company Yao Capital. With the help of its first US dollar fund, it hopes to raise USD 250 million. It is said that these funds are invested in international sports properties. The professional basketball players’ contracts with teams and businesses have already brought in a substantial sum of money.
Yao Ming’s House
According to reports, In March 2007, Yao Ming purchased this 9,580 square-foot home with 12 rooms and 5 bathrooms. However, this house is on the market to be sold for USD 3.99 million.
What Happened To Yao Ming and Where Is He Now?
Yao announced his retirement from the NBA in July 2011 because of injuries. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2016.
Ming was named president of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2017 and has continued in that role ever since.
Disclaimer: All amounts mentioned in the article are sourced from public platforms. In some cases, celebrities or their teams give their input too, which we incorporate if provided by them. We make all efforts to share possible accurate numbers, however, unless otherwise mentioned they are all approximate. We are open to feedback and suggestions on editorial@pinkvilla.com.
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