CelebrityNetWorth wrote its first article about Junior Bridgeman in April 2014. At the time, the world had not really heard of Junior. Maybe some NBA superfans remembered him, but generally, he was very much under the radar. That’s part of what made his story so impressive and inspiring. Not only did Junior Bridgeman parlay a very modest NBA career into a business empire, he did it all without attracting much attention… for a while.
Junior Bridgeman redefined what was possible for professional athletes to achieve beyond the game. Thanks to his vision, discipline, and tireless work ethic, he turned a handful of struggling Wendy’s locations into a fast food empire, then expanded into Coca-Cola bottling and a half dozen additional ventures. All of which seemed to turn to gold.
We were there when Bridgeman made headlines in 2016, selling most of his 500+ restaurant franchises for an estimated $250 million—a move that paved the way for his transition into the beverage industry. We watched in admiration as he expanded Heartland Coca-Cola into a powerhouse business, eventually leading him to officially reach billionaire status in 2023. Today, we are deeply saddened to report that Junior Bridgeman passed away on March 11, 2025, at the age of 71, after suffering a heart attack. At the time of his death, Junior’s net worth was at least $1.5 billion. His passing is not just the loss of a former athlete but of a true pioneer who raised the bar for what retired athletes—and entrepreneurs everywhere—could achieve.
A Moderate NBA Career
Born Ulysses Lee “Junior” Bridgeman in East Chicago, Indiana, in 1953, he grew up in a working-class household. His father was a steel mill worker, and his upbringing instilled a deep sense of discipline and perseverance. After leading his high school team to a state championship in 1971, Bridgeman earned a scholarship to the University of Louisville, where he became a standout player.
In 1975, Bridgeman was selected eighth overall in the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, but he was immediately traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in the blockbuster deal that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles. While Abdul-Jabbar would go on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history, Bridgeman’s career would take a far more understated path.
Bridgeman spent 12 seasons in the NBA, including 10 with the Bucks and a brief stint with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was never a household name, but he was a solid role player, primarily coming off the bench as a sixth man, providing reliable scoring without ever achieving All-Star status. Over his career, he amassed 11,517 points, averaging 13.6 points per game at his peak, and he still holds the Bucks’ franchise record for most games played (711). Yet, despite his longevity, Bridgeman’s NBA career earnings were modest by modern standards.
During his playing days, the league’s salaries were nowhere near today’s astronomical contracts. Bridgeman’s highest-paid season came in 1985 with the Clippers, when he earned $350,000. He earned $350,000 again in 1986, which turned out to be his final season. His earnings from 1975 – 1975 are not known, but they likely were not significant. Junior’s entire NBA career earnings totaled $2.95 million.
While other players of his era sought coaching jobs or front-office roles post-retirement, Bridgeman recognized that his time in the NBA, though respectable, would not sustain him financially. Unlike many of his peers, he was already preparing for his next chapter long before he played his final game in 1987.
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
The Birth of an Empire
While many of his NBA peers spent their offseasons traveling or relaxing, Junior Bridgeman was working the drive-thru. Even as a professional athlete, he understood that basketball wouldn’t last forever, so instead of spending his summers on vacation, he spent them in a Wendy’s uniform, learning the business from the ground up. He worked the cash register, took orders, flipped burgers, and even ran the drive-thru during the lunch rush—not because he had to, but because he wanted to understand every aspect of the industry.
By the time he retired from the NBA in 1987, Bridgeman was ready to go all-in on the fast-food business. His first major investment came that same year, when he and former NBA player Paul Silas partnered to purchase a Wendy’s franchise in Brooklyn, New York, for around $100,000. It seemed like a smart move at the time—fast food was booming, and both men saw it as a path to financial stability after their playing careers ended. But things did not go as planned.
Neither Bridgeman nor Silas had experience running a restaurant, and the Brooklyn location struggled almost immediately. They faced staffing issues, operational inefficiencies, and the overwhelming reality of managing a business they were still learning. Just as they were starting to get a handle on things, disaster struck—a fire broke out in the restaurant, causing significant damage. The setback was too much for Silas, who decided to cut his losses and walk away from the investment.
Bridgeman, however, saw things differently. Rather than retreating, he doubled down on his commitment, refusing to let the setback define his business career. He took full ownership of the struggling restaurant and made the bold decision to enroll in Wendy’s franchise training camp to learn every detail of running a successful location. He spent months working every position in the restaurant—manning the grill, handling customer complaints, and training employees on proper service techniques.
His hard work paid off. By 1989, he had not only rebuilt the Brooklyn location, but he had also successfully acquired five struggling Wendy’s franchises in Milwaukee for $150,000 each. At the time of purchase, only one of the five locations was profitable, but Bridgeman wasn’t deterred. He personally oversaw a complete overhaul of operations, revamped training procedures, and launched a local marketing campaign, even personally handing out coupons to potential customers.
An Awkward Encounter
Still, there were moments when his dedication was misunderstood. One day, while working behind the counter frying French fries, a customer recognized him in his Wendy’s uniform and was shocked to see a former NBA player handling fast food orders. Believing Bridgeman had fallen on hard times, the customer called into a local sports talk radio show to express concern, lamenting that a once-great player had been reduced to asking, “Do you want fries with that?” What they didn’t realize was that Bridgeman wasn’t struggling—he was building an empire.
Bridgeman Foods Inc.
As his Wendy’s locations began to thrive, he reinvested profits into new locations, gradually expanding throughout the Midwest. His empire grew from five stores to 20, then 50, then 100. Eventually, Bridgeman Foods Inc. became one of the largest franchise operators in the country, owning more than 500 restaurants, including Wendy’s, Chili’s, Fazoli’s, and Blaze Pizza. At its peak, his company generated over $500 million in annual revenue and employed more than 11,000 people.
But Bridgeman wasn’t just about making money—he was about building something lasting. Unlike many corporate owners, he invested in his employees, often hiring people from disadvantaged backgrounds and giving ex-convicts a second chance. He believed that success wasn’t just about profits—it was about people. He personally mentored employees, helping entry-level workers rise to management positions, and even provided financial support for some of his workers to return to school.
By 2016, nearly three decades after making his first investment, Bridgeman sold most of his restaurant empire for an estimated $250 million—a move that set the stage for his next big venture: becoming a Coca-Cola bottler.
Coca-Cola Empire
When he sold his fast food empire in 2016 for a quarter-billion dollars, Junior was 63 years old. The PERFECT retirement age. You would understand if he chose to spend the rest of his days on the best golf courses in Florida with all the other retired athletes.
Nope.
Junior used the proceeds of the sale to buy Heartland Coca-Cola, a Kansas-based Coca-Cola bottling and distribution company. Bridgeman acquired Heartland Coca-Cola in 2017, purchasing the bottling operations from The Coca-Cola Company as part of its broader restructuring efforts. Heartland bottles, packages, and distributes Coca-Cola products across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska through its Lenexa production plant and 18 regional distribution centers.
Under Bridgeman’s leadership, Heartland Coca-Cola’s revenue nearly tripled by 2023, reaching close to $1 billion, solidifying its place as a dominant regional distributor within the Coca-Cola system.
His success led him to expand into Canada, where he took a minority stake in Coca-Cola’s Canadian bottling operations, further solidifying his place among the world’s most successful athlete-entrepreneurs.
Becoming A Billionaire
When you added it all up, thanks largely to the success of his expanded Coca-Cola business, Junior Bridgeman’s net worth topped $1 billion for the first time at the end of 2023. The private company’s exact revenues are not public, but based on various estimates, it’s possible that the enterprise value of the business plus his other assets could have translated into a net worth of as much as $2 billion. And that’s BEFORE he became an NBA team owner…
Coming Full Circle: Owning the Milwaukee Bucks
In an especially poetic twist, the same franchise that once provided Junior Bridgeman with a steady, but unremarkable NBA career later became one of his most meaningful business investments. In September 2024, nearly four decades after playing his final game for the Milwaukee Bucks, Bridgeman returned—not as a player, but as an owner.
Bridgeman purchased a 10% stake in the Bucks at a franchise valuation of $4 billion—but in a shrewd business move, he secured a 15% limited partner discount, meaning his actual buy-in was closer to $300 million. This was not just a sentimental decision—it was a brilliant financial play. With the NBA preparing to expand into Las Vegas and Seattle, team valuations were expected to skyrocket, with expansion fees projected between $5 billion and $6 billion per team. As a part-owner, Bridgeman stood to benefit handsomely from the rising tide of NBA franchise values.
But for Bridgeman, this investment was about more than money. It was about legacy. The Bucks were where he spent the prime years of his NBA career, playing over 700 games and developing the work ethic that would later define his business success. Now, he had the opportunity to shape the franchise’s future—not from the court, but from the boardroom.
Even more important to Bridgeman was the opportunity to mentor today’s generation of NBA players on financial literacy and long-term wealth-building. Unlike many ex-players, he had avoided the pitfalls of reckless spending and poor investments, and he wanted to help young athletes see their massive salaries as a foundation for lasting success rather than a temporary windfall
Media Ventures and Philanthropy
Beyond sports and business, Bridgeman entered the media industry, purchasing Ebony and Jet magazines in 2020. Under his leadership, he aimed to revitalize the legacy Black publications, preserving their cultural significance while modernizing their digital presence.
Bridgeman was also deeply involved in philanthropy, supporting education, community programs, and youth initiatives. His foundation and business operations contributed to numerous charitable efforts, including programs for underserved children and scholarships for minority students.
A Lasting Legacy
Junior Bridgeman’s passing is a monumental loss, but his story is one of perseverance, vision, and business mastery. While he may not have been the biggest name in basketball, his legacy transcends sports—he proved that the greatest victories are not always won on the court, but in the way one prepares for the future.
From sixth man to billionaire, Bridgeman’s story is an inspiration—a testament to what’s possible when ambition meets hard work and smart decision-making. His impact will continue to be felt in the business world, in Milwaukee, and in the lives of the thousands of people he empowered along the way.
Source: celebritynetworth.com
