Dwyane Wade took his spot in Springfield, but his business game is just as nice. Boardroom takes a closer look at the biggest companies & investments on the Hall of Famer’s roster.
Dwyane Wade racked up nearly every accolade throughout his 16-year NBA career. From Finals MVP to Olympic gold medalist, his trophy cabinet is stacked with hardware.
However, the Miami Heat legend has made a lasting imprint far beyond the hardwood. An outspoken champion for racial justice and LGBTQIA+ rights, Wade has always been more than a hooper. He and his wife Gabrielle Union received the President’s Award at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards for their wide-ranging philanthropic and advocacy work.
As he set records on the court, he closed deals off of it, crafting a diverse portfolio that is keeping his agenda booked in retirement. The Turner Broadcasting fixture can still be seen onscreen, providing insights throughout the NBA season as a member of the NBA on TNT team. Wade counts Utah Jazz majority owner Ryan Smith as one of his closest business confidants and is levying his lessons upon the next generation; Wade’s four-year-old daughter Kaavia James Union Wade is already a part-owner of Angel City FC.
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From wineries to restaurants, professional team ownership to a production house, Wade is involved in nearly every major industry.
Let’s take a closer look at the Dwyane Wade business portfolio.
Dwyane Wade Business & Investments Overview
NOTE: This list is Boardroom’s curation of the most important Dwyane Wade businesses and ventures and is not to be considered exhaustive.
Wade Cellars
- Type: Wine Purveyor
- Role: Co-founder
- Founded: 2014
- Fun fact: In the wake of the success of Wade Cellars, D. Wade was tapped to serve on the UC Davis Executive Leadership Board for the Department of Viticulture and Enology — the school’s premier wine program — to help support its efforts to diversify the industry.
59th and Prairie Entertainment
- Type: Production Company
- Role: Co-founder
- Founded: 2020
- Fun fact: Wade serves as an executive producer of film and stage productions through his production company, which has a strategic partnership with both Warner Media and Bleacher Report. In 2023, Netflix’s The Redeem Team, which documents the story of the 2008 US Olympic men’s basketball team, took home the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Long Documentary.
Li-Ning
- Type: Sneaker Brand
- Role: Lifetime Partner & Global Ambassador
- Signed: 2012, inked lifetime deal in 2018
- Fun fact: Each year, Wade travels to China, home to 11 brick-and-mortar Way of Wade stores, to host the Way of Wade Tour.
Forty-Three
- Type: Investment Company
- Role: Co-founder with Miami Heat teammate Udonis Haslem
- Founded: 2016
- Fun Fact: In 2021, the two Miami legends launched a ghost kitchen featuring some of their culinary favorites: D. Wade Burgers and UD Wings. Forty-three is also invested in a number of restaurant ventures across South Florida.
Chicago Sky
- Type: WNBA team
- Role: Minority Investor
- Purchased: 2023
- Fun Fact: Wade is a long-time fan of his hometown WNBA club. Upon purchasing the team, he told ESPN, “We all talk about support, and support looks different for everyone … [I]nstead of tweeting out and saying ‘go support the W,’ instead of showing up at the game and supporting, I wanted to take it to that next level, and this was the next level for me.”
Salt Lake City Jazz
- Type: NBA Team
- Role: Minority Investor
- Purchased: 2021
- Fun fact: Two years into ownership, Wade’s investment has increased nearly 30% in value from $1.75 to $2.25 billion.
Proudly
- Type: Baby Care Brand
- Role: Co-founder (with wife Gabrielle Union)
- Founded: 2009
- Fun fact: Wade and Union founded Proudly following the birth of their daughter. The company specializes in baby care products specifically made to meet the needs of Black and brown children.
Mission Products Holdings
- Type: Sportswear Clothing Company
- Role: Co-founder
- Founded: 2009
- Fun fact: Dwyane Wade co-founded the company with Serena Williams, Drew Brees, and others. The company is dedictated to creating products that help athletes maintain their core temperature while competing at the highest levels.
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