Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa just got $200 million richer. The Latina widow just inherited her deceased husband’s stake in the sports drink company Bodyarmor. Kobe bought the interest for $5million in 2013.
And the value of his investment has now skyrocketed. At the time of Kobe’s’s death, he was the fourth-largest shareholder in the company, which is set to surpass $1B in retail revenue for the first time this year.
Kobe first invested in Bodyarmor in March 2013, paying $5million to get a 10 percent share of the company.
The beverage company was cofounded by Smartwater mogul Mike Repole and Fuze Beverage brains Lance Collins, and was aiming to make inroads in a market dominated by Gatorade.
Kobe became an important brand ambassador, and eventually got a seat on the company’s board of directors and overseeing its advertising campaigns.
In 2018, the Coca Cola company purchased a minority stake in Bodyarmor in a deal that valued the company at $2billion, making Bryant’s share worth at least $200million.
This $200M is separate from the $600M of Kobe’s other fortune that Vanessa already inherited. When it’s all said and done, she may be a billionaire.