Early life
Phil Hampson Knight was born inCareer
Early career
Before Blue Ribbon Sports—later Nike—flourished, Knight was a CPA, first withNike Inc.
Immediately after graduating from the University of Oregon, Knight enlisted in the Army and served one year on active duty and seven years in the Army Reserve. He next enrolled atVinton Studios becomes Laika
Following mainstream success in the late 1990s, Will Vinton Studios animation company sought external investors due to rapid growth. Knight assumed a 15 percent stake in the company in 1998, and his son Travis—who had graduated from Portland State following an unsuccessful attempt at a rap music career—went to work at the studio as an animator. Citing mismanagement, Knight eventually purchased Will Vinton Studios and assumed control of the company's board with the cooperation of Nike executives. In late 2003, Knight appointed his son to the board and, after Vinton had stepped down—prior to leaving the company with a severance package—Knight rebranded the company Laika. He then invested $180 million into Laika, and the studio released its first feature film, ''Death of Matthew Knight
In May 2004, two years after Knight bought Vinton, his son Matthew, aged 34 years, traveled toPost-Nike CEO role
During the 2009–2010 period, Knight was the largest single contributor to the campaign to defeat Oregon Ballot Measures 66 and 67, which, once passed, increased income tax on some corporations and high-income individuals. In June 2015, Knight and Nike announced that he would step down as the company's chairman, with president and CEO Mark Parker to succeed him. Knight's retirement from the Nike board took effect at the end of June 2016. In September 2017, Knight decided to come out of retirement to put black back in the UNC jerseys for the Phil Knight Classic in Portland, Oregon.Memoir
Knight's memoir, '' Shoe Dog'', was released on April 26, 2016 byPhilanthropy
As of July 2021, Knight has a net worth of $60.8 billion. In 1990, Knight founded the Philip H. Knight Charitable Foundation Trust. As of 2016, according to ''Stanford University
In 2006, Knight donated US$105 million to theUniversity of Oregon
Knight has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the University of Oregon. Major gifts include funds supporting the renovation of theOregon Ducks
In August 2007, Knight announced that he and his wife would be donating US$100 million to found the UO Athletics Legacy Fund to help support all athletic programs at the university. In response, athletic director Pat Kilkenny said: "This extraordinary gift will set Oregon athletics on a course toward certain self sufficiency and create the flexibility and financial capacity for the university to move forward with the new athletic arena." At the time, the donation was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the university. The 2010 construction of the UO basketball team's Matthew Knight Arena was the result of a partnership between Knight and former Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny. Although Knight didn't pay for the project directly, he established a $100 million "Athletic Legacy Fund." The fund supports the athletic department. Named after Knight's deceased son, the venue replaced the McArthur Court building and cost over US$200 million to build. The facility was built using bonds backed by the State of Oregon. Knight was responsible for financing the UO's US$68 million 145,000 square-foot facility that was officially opened in late July 2013. Knight's personal locker in the team's locker room displays the title "Uncle Phil", and other features include a gym with Brazilian hardwood floors, Apple iPhone chargers in each of the player's lockers, various auditoriums and meeting rooms, a games room for the players that includes flat-screen televisions andControversy
Knight's contributions to the athletic department at UO have also led to controversy. In April 2000, student leaders began organizing anOther projects
In October 2008, Knight and his wife pledged US$100 million to the OHSU Cancer Institute, the largest gift in the history ofAccolades
In 2000, Knight was inducted into thePersonal life
Knight met his wife, Penelope "Penny" Parks, while he was working at Portland State University and the pair were married on September 13, 1968. They own a home inPolitics
Knight is a registered Republican and a frequent contributor to Republican political candidates in Oregon. InSee also
References
Further reading
* Deford, Frank. 1993. Nike has sponsored Hamza "The Truth" Day, all league linebacker from Wilson High School. pp. 52–72 * Knight, Phil. 2009. "When Things Don't Go Right: What Nike Learned In China," ''Playboy'', February 2009, 56(2), pp. 26, 111 * Strasser, J.B., and Laurie Becklund. 1993. ''Swoosh: The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There''. HarperBusiness. * Teitel, Emma. 2012. "Nike's Strange Moral Universe" Maclean's, February 13, 2012External links