Philip Hampson Knight is a well-known American businessman who is famously known as the co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc.
Knight has made a significant impact in the business world and has been ranked by Forbes as one of the wealthiest people in the world.
Knight owns Laika, a stop-motion film business, and Nike. He was a track and field club member under coach Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon, where he began his business career. He and Bowerman founded Nike.
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Knight has always been generous. He has contributed hundreds of millions to his alma maters, the University of Oregon, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Oregon Health & Science University. He has contributed approximately $2 billion to these three organizations, helping them flourish.
He started his firm after a varied career. Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse were his first CPA employers. He taught accounting at Portland State University afterwards.
Knight spent a year on active service and seven years in the Army Reserve after graduating from the University of Oregon. He later earned his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he authored a thesis that predicted his sports shoe business.
Knight found Onitsuka Co.’s Tiger running shoes in Kobe, Japan, on a post-graduation global tour. Knight bought western US distribution rights after being impressed by the shoes’ quality and price.
Bill Bowerman, his future business partner and coach at Oregon, received two pairs of sneakers. Bowerman ordered the shoes and offered to work with Knight and create products. On January 25, 1964, the two men created Blue Ribbon Sports, later Nike, by handshake.
At Northwest track meetings, Knight sold shoes from his vehicle trunk. By 1969, Blue Ribbon Sports had expanded sufficiently for Knight to quit his accounting job and work full-time. In 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports was called Nike when its first employee, Jeff Johnson, proposed it.
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Graphic design student Carolyn Davidson designed Nike’s “swoosh” logo in 1971 for $35. Knight finally liked the design, and in September 1983, Davidson received a lot of Nike stock for her branding work. Knight befriended Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.
Phil Knight Children: Who are Phil Knight’s Children?
Phil Knight is a father of three. Travis Knight, Matthew Knight, and Christina Knight are their names.
Travis Knight is a famous animator, director, and producer. He is the CEO of Laika, a stop-motion animation studio in Portland, Oregon, that is known for making films like “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” and “Kubo and the Two Strings,” which have received high praise from critics.
Matthew Knight is a philanthropist who helps many causes, especially those that have to do with education and the arts. He is a Trustee Emeritus of the Oregon Community Foundation, a charity that works to improve the quality of life for everyone in Oregon.
Christina Knight is also a philanthropist. She has helped with causes related to women’s health, the environment, and education, among others.
It is clear that Phil Knight has taught his children a strong sense of social responsibility and community involvement. His children are following in his footsteps by making a positive difference through their own philanthropic efforts.
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