How Nike Went From Selling Shoes in a Car Trunk to $50 Billion

Nike's logo cost $35. Its name came from an employee's dream. And the company almost died in a "win or die" lawsuit before most of the world ever heard of it. This is the full story of Nike — from Phil Knight selling Japanese running shoes out of his car trunk at track meets, to the secret betrayal of its own supplier, the waffle iron that changed footwear forever, the desperate $2.5 million bet on a rookie named Michael Jordan who wanted to sign with Adidas, the "banned" shoe that sold $100 million in a year, the sweatshop scandal that forced Phil Knight to admit his brand had become "synonymous with slave wages," and the Kaepernick ad that set the internet on fire — and sent Nike's stock to record highs. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 The Steamer Trunk Full of Cash 0:35 The Handshake in Kobe 2:30 Win or Die 4:30 The Waffle Iron & the IPO 6:30 The Rookie Who Said No 9:00 "Synonymous With Slave Wages" 11:30 Betting on the Storm 13:30 The Empire's New Problems 15:30 The Company That Manufactures Belief 🎬 In this episode: The Stanford paper nobody read that predicted Nike's entire strategy Why the swoosh cost $35 — and what Carolyn Davidson got later How the NBA "banning" the Air Jordan 1 made it a $100M shoe The 1996 photo that turned Nike into globalization's villain Why Hoka and On are doing to Nike what Nike did to Adidas Subscribe for a new brand documentary every week — the untold stories behind the world's biggest companies. #nike #michaeljordan #documentary #business #airjordan Goods by Global | The Hidden Supply Chains Behind Everything You Use Deep-dive documentaries on the supply chains that secretly run the world — coffee, computer chips, fresh water, beef, concrete, electric vehicles, and more. Every product you touch has an incredible journey behind it: mines and farms on the other side of the world, factories with impossible engineering, global trade routes, geopolitical battles, and hidden crises most people never hear about. We trace those journeys from raw material to your hands — and explain why things cost what they do, who controls what, and where the whole system is fragile. Each episode explores a different industry: how it works, where it breaks, and what it reveals about the global economy. From the one company that makes 90% of the world's advanced chips, to the black market for sand, to the four companies that control America's beef — these are the systems hiding in plain sight. New episodes regularly. Subscribe to understand how the world actually works. AI Transparency To improve production quality and deliver educational content efficiently, some videos on this channel may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for script assistance, narration, visual generation, animation, subtitles, editing, translation, or other production workflows. Every video is reviewed before publication with the goal of providing informative and engaging educational content. Content Disclaimer The information presented on this channel is intended solely for educational and informational purposes. While we strive to provide accurate, current, and well-researched information, no content on this channel should be considered professional legal, financial, accounting, tax, investment, engineering, medical, or business advice. Viewers should consult qualified professionals before making decisions based on topics discussed in our videos. Information may change over time due to evolving regulations, technologies, industry standards, or business practices. We encourage viewers to verify important information through official sources where appropriate. Views and opinions presented are based on research, publicly available information, industry knowledge, and educational analysis. Intellectual Property Notice Goods by Global respects the intellectual property rights of creators, organizations, and copyright owners. When discussing companies, brands, products, technologies, or publicly available information, such references are made for commentary, education, criticism, analysis, or reporting purposes where applicable. If copyrighted materials are included, they are intended only to the extent necessary for educational explanation, commentary, or analysis. If you believe any content on this channel infringes your rights, please contact us directly with the relevant information so we can review the matter promptly and address legitimate concerns where appropriate. Community Values We encourage respectful discussions, constructive feedback, and knowledge sharing. Harassment, hate speech, spam, impersonation, or abusive behavior is not welcome. Our mission is to build a learning community where curious people can exchange ideas and grow together. Subscribe today and become part of the Goods by Global community.