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Co-founder, Nike
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Philip Hampson Knight (born 24 February 1938) is an American billionaire business magnate who is the co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc. He founded the company as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 with his track coach Bill Bowerman, selling shoes out of his car trunk. He rebranded it to Nike in 1971 and built it into the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel. Knight's marketing genius, including signing Michael Jordan and the "Just Do It" campaign, revolutionized sports marketing. He served as CEO until 2004 and Chairman until 2016. He is also a major philanthropist, particularly to the University of Oregon and Stanford University.
Co-founded Nike, creating the world's most valuable sports brand
Pioneered the celebrity athlete endorsement model (Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods)
Author of the best-selling memoir 'Shoe Dog'
Nike sweatshop labor scandals in the 1990s
Criticism over tax avoidance strategies (Paradise Papers)
Controversy over Nike's workplace culture allegations in 2018
Donated over $2 billion to charity and education