Phil Knight Popular Books

Phil Knight Biography & Facts

Philip Hampson Knight (born February 24, 1938) is an American billionaire business magnate who is the co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc., a global sports equipment and apparel company. He was previously its chairman and CEO. As of December 2023, Forbes estimated his net worth at $45.0 billion. He is also the owner of the stop motion film production company Laika. Knight is a graduate of the University of Oregon and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was part of the track and field club under coach Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon with whom he would later co-found Nike. Knight has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to each of his alma maters, as well as Oregon Health & Science University. He has donated over $2 billion to these three institutions. Early life and education Phil Hampson Knight was born on February 24, 1938, in Portland, Oregon, to Bill Knight, a lawyer turned newspaper publisher, and his wife, Lota Cloy (née Hatfield) Knight. He grew up in the Portland neighborhood of Eastmoreland, and attended Cleveland High School. According to one source, "When his father refused to give him a summer job at his newspaper [the now defunct Oregon Journal], believing that his son should find work on his own," Knight "went to the rival Oregonian, where he worked the morning shift tabulating sports scores and every morning ran home the full seven miles."Knight continued his education at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he ran for the famed Oregon track and field program, was a sports reporter for the Oregon Daily Emerald and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Knight earned a business degree (B.B.A.) in 1959 in just three years. That same year, Knight also received his Army Reserve Commission and was a "Distinguished Military Graduate".As a middle-distance runner at Oregon, his personal best was 1 mile (1.6 km) in 4 minutes, 13 seconds, and he won varsity letters for his track performances in 1957, 1958, and 1959. In 1977, together with Bowerman and Geoff Hollister, Knight founded an American running team called Athletics West. Career Early career Before Blue Ribbon Sports—later Nike—flourished, Knight worked as a Certified Public Accountant, first with Coopers & Lybrand, and then Price Waterhouse. Knight then became an accounting professor at Portland State University. Nike Inc. Immediately after graduating from the University of Oregon, Knight enlisted in the Army and served one year on active duty and seven years in the Army Reserve. He next enrolled at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where, for his small business class, Knight produced a paper, "Can Japanese Sports Shoes Do to German Sports Shoes What Japanese Cameras Did to German Cameras?", that essentially foretold his eventual foray into selling running shoes. His ambition was to import high-quality and low-cost running shoes from Japan into the American market. He graduated with a master's degree in business administration from Stanford in 1962.Knight set out on a trip around the world after graduation, during which he made a stop in Kobe, Japan, in November 1962. It was there that he discovered Tiger brand running shoes, manufactured in Kobe by the Onitsuka Co., now known as Asics. Impressed by the quality and low cost of the shoes, Knight called Mr. Onitsuka, who agreed to meet with him. By the end of the meeting, Knight had secured Tiger distribution rights for the western United States.The first Tiger samples would take more than a year to be shipped to Knight; during that time he found a job as an accountant in Portland. When Knight finally received the shoe samples, he mailed two pairs to Bowerman at the University of Oregon, hoping to gain both a sale and an influential endorsement. To Knight's surprise, Bowerman not only ordered the Tiger shoes, but also offered to become a partner with Knight and provide product design ideas. The two men agreed to a partnership by handshake on January 25, 1964, the birth date of Blue Ribbon Sports, the company that would later become Nike.Knight's first sales, were made out of a now storied green Plymouth Valiant automobile at track meets across the Pacific Northwest. By 1969, these early sales allowed Knight to leave his accountant job and work full-time for Blue Ribbon Sports.Jeff Johnson, Nike's first employee, suggested calling the firm "Nike," named after the Greek winged goddess of victory, and Blue Ribbon Sports was subsequently renamed Nike in 1971.Nike's "swoosh" logo, now considered one of the most valuable logos in the world, was commissioned for $35 from graphic design student Carolyn Davidson in 1971. According to Nike's website, Knight said at the time: "I don't love it, but it will grow on me." In September 1983, Davidson was given an undisclosed amount of Nike stock for her contribution to the company's brand. On the Oprah television program in April 2011, Knight claimed he gave Davidson "a few hundred shares" when the company went public.At Nike, Knight developed personal relationships with some of the world's most recognizable athletes, including Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Vinton Studios becomes Laika Following mainstream success in the late 1990s, Will Vinton Studios animation company sought external investors due to rapid growth. Knight assumed a 15 percent stake in the company in 1998, and his son Travis—who had graduated from Portland State following an unsuccessful attempt at a rap music career—went to work at the studio as an animator.Citing mismanagement, Knight eventually purchased Will Vinton Studios and assumed control of the company's board with the cooperation of Nike executives. In late 2003, Knight appointed his son to the board and, after Vinton had stepped down—prior to leaving the company with a severance package—Knight rebranded the company Laika. He then invested $180 million into Laika, and the studio released its first feature film, Coraline, in stop motion, in 2009. Coraline was a financial success and Travis Knight was then promoted into the roles of Laika CEO and president. Death of Matthew Knight In May 2004, two years after Knight bought Vinton, his son Matthew, aged 34 years, traveled to El Salvador to film a fund-raising video for Christian Children of the World, a Portland nonprofit organization. However, while scuba diving with his colleagues Vincenzo Iannuzzelli and Robert McDonell in Lake Ilopango, near San Salvador, he died from a heart attack 150 feet (46 m) underwater due to an undetected congenital heart defect. Knight and Travis traveled to El Salvador to return Matthew's body to the US. Laika Studio's 2005 short film Moongirl was dedicated to Matthew's memory.Knight resigned as Nike CEO on November 18, 2004, several months after Matthew's funeral but retained the position of chairman of the board. Knight's replacement was William Perez, former CEO of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., who was eventually replaced by Mark Parker in 2006.In 2011.... Discover the Phil Knight popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Phil Knight books.

Best Seller Phil Knight Books of 2024

  • Citizen Quinn synopsis, comments

    Citizen Quinn

    Gavin Daly & Ian Kehoe

    Citizen Quinn tells the staggering story of the rise and fall of Ireland's richest man: Sean Quinn. A few years ago, Sean Quinn was ranked among the two hundred richest people in t...

  • A Pocket Guide to Nike synopsis, comments

    A Pocket Guide to Nike

    Josh Sims

    Discover the legendary story of Nike, where innovation and a signature swoosh took the world by storm. In this compact guide, style writer Josh Sims delves into the incredible jour...

  • The Shard synopsis, comments

    The Shard

    Howard Watson

    'We were told we would never get planning consent and we did. We were told we would never be able to fund it and we did. Then we were told we would never be able to build it and we...

  • Nunca te pares synopsis, comments

    Nunca te pares

    Phil Knight

    La historia jamás contada detrás de Nike, la marca deportiva más icónica del mundo, narrada por su creador.Uno de los libros favoritos de Bill Gates de 2016.Phil Knight, director g...

  • University of Nike synopsis, comments

    University of Nike

    Joshua Hunt

    The dramatic expose of how the University of Oregon sold its soul to Nike, and what that means for the future of our public institutions and our society.  A New York Post Best...

  • What It Takes synopsis, comments

    What It Takes

    Stephen A. Schwarzman

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom Blackstone chairman, CEO, and cofounder Stephen A. Schwarzman, a longawaited book that uses impactful episodes from Schwarzman's life to show readers ...

  • The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get synopsis, comments

    The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get

    Joe Ricketts

    Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade, shares the epic inside story of how a workingclass kid from the Nebraska prairie took on Wall Street’s clubby brokerage business, busted it ...

  • Shoe Dog synopsis, comments

    Shoe Dog

    Phil Knight

    In this instant and tenacious New York Times bestseller, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight “offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously mediashy man behind the sw...

  • Spark synopsis, comments

    Spark

    Paddy Rangappa

    From a marketing expert with nearly three decades of worldwide brand development experience working with some of today’s most recognizable and successful brandsincluding Dove, McDo...

  • Summary of Shoe Dog synopsis, comments

    Summary of Shoe Dog

    Instaread

    Summary of Shoe Dog by Phil Knight | Includes Analysis   Preview: Shoe Dog is Phil Knight’s memoir about founding his first company, Blue Ribbon; the creation of the Nike...

  • Phil Knight synopsis, comments

    Phil Knight

    World Watch Media

    Phil KnightThe Story of The Businessman Who Created NikeBy World Watch MediaPhilip Hampson "Phil" Knight (born February 24, 1938) is an American mogul and benefactor. A local resid...

  • The Richer Way synopsis, comments

    The Richer Way

    Julian Richer

    In 1978 Julian Richer, then aged just nineteen, opened his first shop near London Bridge. For over twenty years this shop has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having ...

  • KD synopsis, comments

    KD

    Marcus Thompson

    Golden State Warriors insider and bestselling author Marcus Thompson “paints a complex portrait and captures all the multitudes of a dynamic athlete trying to carve his legacy” (Jo...

  • The Longest Race synopsis, comments

    The Longest Race

    Kara Goucher

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIn “one of the most important athlete memoirs of its generation” (Kate Fagan, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Olympian Kara Goucher reveals ...

  • Freezing Order synopsis, comments

    Freezing Order

    Bill Browder

    Following his explosive New York Times bestseller Red Notice, Bill Browder returns with another “explosive and compulsive” (Stephen Fry) thriller chronicling how he became Vladimir...

  • Gambler synopsis, comments

    Gambler

    Billy Walters

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “An insightful read…Walters is a largerthanlife character.” Sports Illustrated “This book is going to become the sports gambling bible…The formula’s in ...

  • LeBron synopsis, comments

    LeBron

    Jeff Benedict

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the #1 bestselling author of The Dynasty and Tiger Woodsthe “definitive…fantastic” (Sports Illustrated) biography of basketball superstar LeBron Jam...

  • Kicks synopsis, comments

    Kicks

    Nicholas Smith

    “A vivid picture of how what we wear on our feet can tell us what it really means to be an American.”Vanity Fair “Expansive, thorough, and entertaining . . . a ...

  • How to Lead synopsis, comments

    How to Lead

    David M. Rubenstein

    The New York Times Bestseller #1 Wall Street Journal BestsellerThe essential leadership playbook. Learn the principles and guiding philosophies of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Ruth Bade...

  • Shoe Dog Summary synopsis, comments

    Shoe Dog Summary

    The Summary Guy

    By Phil Knight A Complete Summary A Memoir by the Creator of Nike Shoe Dog is a memoir written by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. In this book we read how things were prior ...

  • A Diary of The Lady synopsis, comments

    A Diary of The Lady

    Rachel Johnson

    Rachel Johnson takes on the challenge of saving The Lady, Britain's oldest women's weekly, in her hilarious diary, A Diary of The Lady: My First Year and a Half as Editor.'The whol...

  • Win at All Costs synopsis, comments

    Win at All Costs

    Matt Hart

    "After years of rumors and speculation, Matt Hart sets out to peel back the layers of secrecy that protected the most powerful coach in running. What he finds will leave you indign...

  • Built on a Lie synopsis, comments

    Built on a Lie

    Owen Walker

    He was the most celebrated and successful British investor of his generation but it was all built on a lie. Neil Woodford spent years beating the market; betting against the dot c...

  • The Dealmaker synopsis, comments

    The Dealmaker

    Guy Hands

    An inside account of the multibillion pound world of private equity and a masterclass on the art of dealmaking.The Dealmaker is a frank and honest account of how a severely dyslexi...

  • Players synopsis, comments

    Players

    Matthew Futterman

    “Provocative…terrific stories” (The New Yorker) of the people who transformed sportsin the span of a single generationfrom a job that required even top athletes to work in the offs...

  • Once I Was You -- Adapted for Young Readers synopsis, comments

    Once I Was You -- Adapted for Young Readers

    Maria Hinojosa

    “When Maria speaks, I’m ready to listen and learn.” LinManuel MirandaEmmy Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Maria Hinojosa has created a brandnew, unique version of her ...

  • On These Courts synopsis, comments

    On These Courts

    Wayne B Drash

    The incredible true story of hope and inspiration, struggle and triumph: how former NBA star “Penny” Hardaway selflessly coached a young basketball team through the hardships of li...

  • Velocity synopsis, comments

    Velocity

    Ajaz Ahmed & Stefan Olander

    How can you win when the only certainty is change? Highly accessible, lively and inspiring, Velocity draws upon the authors’ unique perspectives and experiences to present seven ti...

  • Facing Michael Jordan synopsis, comments

    Facing Michael Jordan

    Sean Deveney & Kent McDill

    Relive the magic of the greatest player to ever step on the court.“Air Jordan,” “His Airness,” “MJ.”Whatever you call him, Michael Jeffrey Jordan can be considered one of the great...

  • The Boomers synopsis, comments

    The Boomers

    Matt Logue

    From heartbreak to triumph: how our national basketball team went from misfits to superstarsThe Boomers' Olympic triumph in Tokyo was possibly the most celebrated bronze medal in A...

  • Just For The Record synopsis, comments

    Just For The Record

    Geri Halliwell

    In 2002, Just For The Record was the book that everyone was talking about. Then in 2003, repackaged in a new, compact massmarket format, Just For The Record did it all over again b...

  • Damaged Goods synopsis, comments

    Damaged Goods

    Oliver Shah

    DISCOVER THE SHOCKING TRUTH BEHIND THE BUSINESS AND LIFESTYLE OF SIR PHILIP GREEN 'Superb' Evening Standard'From the glitzy parties to the threatening phone calls, the largerthanli...

  • Amazon Unbound synopsis, comments

    Amazon Unbound

    Brad Stone

    This New York Times bestseller is a “masterful” (The Washington Post), “juicy tour of the company [Jeff] Bezos built” (The New York Times Book Review), revealing the most important...

  • Radical Simplicity synopsis, comments

    Radical Simplicity

    Ken Allen

    The key to rising to the top of your company lies in a simple message and philosophy. The ultimate inspirational story for ambitious innovators, marketdisruptors, and global busine...