Meet The Real Sonny Vaccaro

Thanks to Air, which hit theaters on April 5, 2023, a lot of people are just now hearing Sonny Vaccaro’s name for the first time.

The sports drama follows the exciting true story behind the iconic Air Jordan — the sneaker that resulted from a historic deal between then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike. Not only would the shoes become wildly popular, but they put Nike on the map while solidifying Jordan’s legendary status early on in his career. In Air, Ben Affleck (who also directed the film) plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight, while Matt Damon stars as sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro.

Witnessing his extraordinary career come to life on the big screen was a treat for Vaccaro, who said in an interview with Footwear News that Affleck and screenwriter Alex Convery valued his insight during a set visit. “I never in my wildest dreams ever thought this would happen,” he said. “I never would have believed or dreamed that any of this would have happened.”

In the film, Vaccaro is depicted as crucial to brokering the groundbreaking deal between Nike and Jordan, and rightfully so — but his impact in the sports world goes beyond that. Below, what to know about Sonny Vaccaro, from how he got into sports, to his current whereabouts and net worth.

Who Is Sonny Vaccaro?

Ironically, Vaccaro, a Pennsylvania native, grew up playing football and baseball rather than basketball, but an injury derailed his athletic career while he was studying at Youngstown State University. At that point, Youngstown men’s basketball coach Dom Risselli tapped Vaccaro to help recruit players, launching his career as a sports executive. With the help of a childhood friend, Vaccaro eventually launched the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, the first national All-Star basketball game for high school players.

It wasn’t long before Vaccaro set out to design sneakers, creating various prototypes. He presented them to Nike in a meeting, but while his designs were rejected, he and Nike ended up teaming up for a slightly different business endeavor: paying college basketball teams to wear Nike gear and providing their players with free sneakers.

Once the marketing strategy proved successful, Nike took it to the next level by courting college players entering the 1984 NBA Draft. Per USA Today, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton were considered for potential endorsement deals, but it ultimately went to Michael Jordan: Somehow, Vaccaro convinced Nike to offer their entire budget to a single player, and to name a sneaker after him to boot.

In the fall of 1984, a 21-year-old Jordan inked a five-year deal with Nike for $2.5 million. The company had a modest goal of earning $3 million from the sneakers over a three-year period. Instead, the Air Jordan raked in a whopping $126 million in the first year alone.

In 1991, Jordan won his first NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls. Months later, Vaccaro was fired from Nike due to a falling out with Knight, but that didn’t stop him from flexing his marketing expertise elsewhere. That same year, he joined Adidas and helped build the company by striking an endorsement deal with Kobe Bryant, who was still a high school senior at the time. Vaccaro eventually went on to work at Reebok until his retirement in 2007.

What Is Sonny Vaccaro’s Net Worth?

All of Vaccaro’s basketball expertise helped him build a modest fortune: It’s estimated that today, Vaccaro’s net worth is around $5 million.

Where Is Sonny Vaccaro Now?

Following his departure from Reebok, Vaccaro became an outspoken critic of the NCAA, calling out the organization for prohibiting college athletes from earning compensation for the commercial use of their name, image, and likeness.

Vaccaro’s continuous push to reform the NCAA eventually culminated in a class-action lawsuit against the nonprofit. Led by UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon, the suit went to trial in 2014, and a judge ruled against the NCAA, finding that the organization had violated antitrust laws. The suit is credited for redefining college sports and leveling the playing field for student athletes; Vaccaro calls this victory one of his proudest moments.

At 83 years old, he currently lives in Santa Monica, California with his wife, Pam.