In 2012, James bought a 10% stake in the pizza restaurant for 1 million yuan. How much is it worth selling now?

As the NBA facade of this era, James has achieved extremely brilliant achievements in his past 22 years of career, including four championships, four FMVPs, four regular season MVPs, historical scoring champion, "411" record, etc. At the same time, James is also one of the athletes with the strongest ability to make money. His total career salary is as high as 580 million US dollars, and various commercial endorsements have been received.

And outside the arena, James also showed excellent investment skills, founded an entertainment media company, invested in Liverpool and became a small boss. His net worth has exceeded US$1.8 billion and is the richest player in the NBA. James' most successful investment case was when he bought a 10% stake in the Blaze Pizza brand for less than $1 million in 2012. This decision now seems to be the beginning of a business legend. Back in 2011, Blaze Pizza was just established, with only three branches in the United States, with an annual turnover of only $800,000, which was just a trivial role in the US catering market at that time. However, after James inadvertently tried their pizza, he was deeply attracted by its excellent taste. He knew that with a little publicity, Blaze pizza would definitely be popular all over the United States.

So James decided to invest in Blaze Pizza and ended up buying a 10% stake for less than $1 million. The following year, in 2013, the store's annual turnover soared to US$5.5 million, an increase of nearly 6 times. Since then, Blaze pizza has entered the fast lane of rapid growth. In 2018, Blaze Pizza's turnover reached US$340 million, successfully becoming the second largest pizza chain in the United States, second only to Pizza Hut.

In fact, James' investment was not a whim, but a carefully planned business layout. He is well aware of his huge influence as an NBA superstar, and actively utilizes the wide audience of social media and his own star effect to expand his brand awareness for Blaze Pizza. He frequently advertises Blaze pizza on major social platforms, shoots promotional videos himself, and even turns into a clerk to participate in offline activities, attracting the attention and participation of countless fans.

In addition, James also rejected McDonald's $15 million endorsement fee and chose to become the brand ambassador of Blaze Pizza, a decision demonstrating his firm confidence and full support for Blaze Pizza.

Blaze Pizza's market value has soared with the help of James' careful operation and personal influence. From the marketing volume of $800,000 in 2012 to the estimated market value of more than $1 billion in 2025, this amazing growth rate is a miracle in the catering industry and the entire business field. Today, Blaze Pizza has more than 300 stores, spread all over the United States, becoming a leader in the industry. Its success is undoubtedly due to James' business wisdom and influence.

Returning to James's 10% stake, its value is now incomparable. Based on the estimated market value of Blaze Pizza of 1 billion in 2015, James' shares are worth about US$100 million. Judging from the development trends in recent years, the market value of Blaze pizza is still rising.