Phil Knight Biography: Find out the great details of Phil Knight
Phil Knight's early life and education
Phil Knight Biography: Find out the great details of Phil Knight
Phil Knight biography is a must-read story for every aspiring businessperson. He is an inspiration to many starting from how he grew his business and sold shoes from the trunk of his car. He never quit, he persisted by transforming his company from a small startup to a global athletic footwear and apparel powerhouse.
Phil Knight’s famous quote “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise with their skill.
Therefore, in this blog post, I will explore every detail about Phil Knight starting from his early life, and education down to his career. Make sure you read down as you won’t want to miss any information about him.
Phil Knight’s early life and education
Phil Hampson Knight was born on February 24, 1938, in Portland, Oregon. The parents are Bill Knight and Lota Knight, they are newspaper publishers. Phil Knight attended Cleveland High School. While going to school he got a job at Oregonian where he works the morning shift. He got the work as a result of his father not wanting to give him a summer job in his newspaper industry.
Knight continued his education at the University of Oregon in Eugene where he was a sports reporter and also ran for the famed Oregon track. He also earned a business degree (BBA) in 1959. That same year he became a military graduate where he received his army reserved commission. Also, he won varsity letters for his track performance in 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1977, which together he founded Athletic West with Bowerman and Geoff Hollister.
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phil Knight Career
After Philp graduated from Standford in 1962, he traveled to Japan where toured the Onitsuka factory. He was really overwhelmed by the speed and quality of how the Japanese company could produce shoes. He agreed with them to sell the OnitsukaTiger, the company’s signature shoe in the United States.
At that time Knight was working as an accountant and teaching at Portland State University. He makes time during his off hour to sell the shoes out of the back of his car. He showed the shoe to Bowerman, the duo formed Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 in 1969 the business grew which made Knight leave every other job to focus on the company.
After parting ways with Onitsuka in 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports rebranded as Nike, named after the Greek goddess of victory. That same year, Nike’s iconic swoosh logo was created by Knight for a mere $35. Additionally, in 1971, Bowerman designed a revolutionary line of sneakers with waffle soles, providing improved traction. These shoes became highly popular with runners, and by 1980, Knight and Bowerman took the company public.
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By 1990, Nike had surpassed its competitors and, under Knight’s leadership, grew into one of the largest companies globally, driven by innovative designs, celebrity endorsements, and a strong streetwear presence. Its rapid expansion was partly fueled by the low cost of manufacturing shoes in impoverished areas of Asia. Nike faced allegations of using sweatshops and child labor, which were later proven true despite the company initially denying any wrongdoing. In response to these accusations, Knight announced reforms, and Nike began auditing its factories and increasing wages.
In 2004, Knight stepped down as CEO but remained chairman until 2016. By the time he retired, Nike had become one of the most recognizable brands worldwide, with an annual revenue exceeding $32 billion. Knight’s personal net worth was estimated at over $28 billion in 2023.
In the late 1990s, Knight invested in Will Vinton Studios, the animation company known for its pioneering “Claymation” stop-motion animation, which produced well-known characters like the California Raisins and talking M&Ms. Knight became the majority owner of the studio in 2002 and removed founder Will Vinton in 2003. He later rebranded the company Laika, named after the dog that became the first living creature sent into Earth’s orbit.
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Phil Knight Personal life
Knight got married to Penelope ”Penny” Park on September 13, 1968. They got to know each other at Portland State University where he worked as an accountant and also was teaching. They own a home in La Quinta California.
Knight lost his son Matthew in a scuba diving accident in El Salvador in 2004. Also, he has another son Travis Knight who runs the Laika animation studio where Phil Knight serves as chairman.
Knight’s home address on government records is listed as Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. However, he lives in a rural area near Hillsboro, Oregon, where he owns a private flight hangar and two jets at the Hillsboro Airport.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon produced a movie titled Air, which focuses on Nike’s partnership with Michael Jordan and the creation of the Air Jordan brand. In the film, Affleck portrays Knight.
