Michael Jordan's iconic Chicago mansion finally finds a buyer after 12 years

UPDATED: Dec 31, 2024 00:14 IST

After more than a decade on the market, Michael Jordan's legendary Highland Park mansion has finally sold. The estate, which has 56,000 square feet of space and was listed at $29 million in 2012, sold at $9.5 million for a whopping 67% discount from its original asking price.

Built during the successful years of Jordan in Chicago Bulls in 1995, this mansion is a hallmark to his brilliant career. There are nine bedrooms and 19 bathrooms, and on top of that, the mansion comes with a full-regulation basketball court that wears the logo of Air Jordan, putting green, tennis court, cigar lounge, and a famous gate marked "23".

The buyer is John Cooper, a real estate executive and partner at HAN Capital. This company specializes in self-storage facilities, RV parks, and manufactured housing communities. Cooper hails from Lincoln, Nebraska but has spent more than ten years in the Chicago area with his wife and three children.

Shortly after buying the property on December 10, Cooper turned 42 and invited friends to the mansion for basketball and golf. He told the magazine, "My favorite player to watch was always Jordan. He made shots that seemed impossible, and he got it done on defense too."

Cooper intends to preserve the character of the property, including the "23" gate, and not alter its unique features. Although he has hinted at "exciting plans" for the estate that will be announced in January, he does not have any major renovation plans, saying the mansion is "great just the way it is." The property will not be his main residence.

Jordan's selling journey was not easy. Despite various marketing efforts, including offering a complete set of Air Jordans with the purchase and creating targeted videos, the property remained unsold for years. Factors such as high property taxes and the home's highly personalized design contributed to the prolonged listing.

This reflects a larger trend of celebrities dealing with the realities of the property market. Many have had to bring their price expectations down considerably or withdraw their homes from the market altogether. Tobacco mogul Travers Beynon reduced the price of his Candy Shop Mansion by $5 million, and musician Billy Joel sold his Florida mansion at a $22 million loss.