Michael Jordan’s mansion still won’t hit the market for sale — and neither will he.
Jordan, the basketball legend known for setting records on the court, is close to achieving another one – owning the most famous mansion that just won’t sell.
His sprawling Highland Park, Illinois estate, originally listed for $29 million in 2012 and now down to about $15 million, has remained on the market for more than a decade. Despite the significant price drop, the six-time NBA champion is not interested in lowering the price further, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The question swirling among potential buyers and real estate insiders: is the house too “Michael Jordan” for anyone else?
Guarded by a custom wrought-iron gate displaying Jordan’s uniform number 23, the 56,000-square-foot mansion is a sanctuary for the goat itself. Outdoor sports green flags with his Nike silhouette and a home theater displays his likeness in lights.
Inside, Jordan’s name and those of his children — Marcus, Jeffrey and Jasmine — are painted on a full-size basketball court, while a locker room, trophy room and a cigar-friendly poker room complete the look. Some of the doors come straight from Hugh Hefner’s original Playboy mansion, and there’s even a built-in aquarium.
But don’t expect any de-jordanizer to help move this property. Listing agent Katherine Malkin told the Journal, “We haven’t really talked about it because it’s part of the lottery. We don’t see that as a hindrance.”
However, selling a celebrity’s ultra-custom digs isn’t easy.
Derek Jeter’s New York lakefront home, complete with turrets and a mini Statue of Liberty, sat unsold for six years and took nearly $10 million in price cuts before finally moving in for $5.1 million. Rocker Slash struggled for two years to find a buyer for his skull-themed mansion — and Joe Pesci’s Goodfellas-style mansion on the Jersey Shore took three years to sell.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s mansion has become a magnet for gawkers.
Tourists routinely pose at the entrance gate and fans without deep pockets contact Malkin hoping for a free tour or a bargain. Last year, a teenager attempted another break-in, despite the property being secured at all times. Recently, a TikTok video falsely suggesting the mansion had flooded went viral, adding to the circus-like atmosphere surrounding the bid.
While Jordan has dropped the price to $14.85 million, there will be no more discounts. He backed out of a 2013 auction because he didn’t want to sell the house for less than it was worth.
As Malkin says, “I think most people would have gotten concerned at some point and said, you know, I think I’m just going to reduce it and reduce it and reduce it.”
Jordan’s camp has tried creative tactics to find the right buyer.
Real estate agent Kofi Nartey spearheaded a marketing campaign featuring dramatic videos in English and Mandarin, capitalizing on Jordan’s massive popularity in China. Nartey even sweetened the deal by promising a full collection of Air Jordan sneakers to the lucky buyer.
“The person buying the house isn’t buying it just to have a big house, they’re really buying it for the bragging rights and the legacy that Michael Jordan built with the property,” Nartey told the Journal.
Investors have toyed with ideas to transform the property into everything from a Michael Jordan museum to an apartment complex. But restrictive parking laws and strict zoning laws have stymied those plans, says Highland Park City Manager Ghida S. Neukirch.
Malkin points out that Jordan’s decision to build a few miles west of the coveted Lake Michigan waterfront has also been a sticking point. “Most people who spend that kind of money in the Chicago area want to live on the lake,” she told the outlet. “He chose not to live on the lake because they wanted privacy.”
Interested buyers are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement before setting foot in the residence. Dozens of serious buyers have visited the house over the past few years, but no one has bitten.
Jordan, who has paid more than $1 million in taxes on the property since it was first listed and recently invested in a new roof, doesn’t seem worried.
“Why? Because he can,” Malkin revealed, adding that Jordan’s children still visit them from time to time.
With a fortune that includes $94 million in NBA revenue, $480 million from Nike — and other deals with Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck, not to mention his recent sale of a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, Jordan doesn’t is in a hurry.
He bought the 7-acre property in 1991, building the mansion around 1994 with his then-wife Juanita. After their divorce in 2006, Jordan kept the house, but with his grown children and multiple residences in Charlotte and Florida, it’s now just another property in his portfolio.
Malkin is pushing for the right buyer, confident that this mansion will eventually find its match. Jordan isn’t looking for a fan to take a photo op with. “He doesn’t want anyone out there signing a T-shirt. He is willing to wait,” she says.
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