Kevin Durant’s $10bn venture signs LeBron James to new role after 81x return on his initial investment

Kevin Durant is raking it in on and off the court. The NBA great signed a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets in 2025. His career earnings are already over $500 million and he has put the money to good use. KD and his investment vehicle 35V have made over 100 investments in fintech, artificial intelligence, media, and health and wellness. One of those was fitness tracker, WHOOP, which recently raised $575 million in a Series G investment round that valued the company at $10.1 billion. Cristiano Ronaldo , LeBron James and Rory McIlroy were among those to put money into the wearable. Per Sportico , Durant first invested in the company in 2017 when it was valued at just $125 million. The new appraisal is 81x higher and will see a huge return for long-term investors. Durent reportedly added to his position in 2020 at a $1.2 billion valuation and Sportico has been told that he has not sold any of his shares. Already one of the highest-earning U.S. athletes, Durant’s portfolio will entrench his position further. The 37-year-old doesn’t appear to be ready to move into investing full time just yet. KD passed Michael Jordan for fifth on the NBA’s career scoring list last season. “Four more to go,” he said after with a beaming grin. His tally of 32,709 career points is remarkable but No. 1 King James is already past 43,000 and unlikely to give up his crown for some time. LeBron levels up WHOOP role It comes as Whoop announced that it has signed LeBron has joined as a global ambassador, formalizing a relationship that began more than a decade ago. James started wearing a WHOOP in 2015 as one of its first 100 members, long before continuous health monitoring became mainstream. “LeBron James represents the pinnacle of performance and longevity,” said Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of WHOOP. “He was one of the first 100 WHOOP members long before anyone had ever heard of Strain or our Recovery Score. Now, 11 years later, we’re so proud to have him as a global ambassador.” James ranks among the top 10% on sleep efficiency across the entire WHOOP member base, demonstrating his exceptional commitment to sleep and recovery He has not missed a single day of WHOOP data collection in 2026, maintaining a perfect 100% wear rate throughout the year. On his 40th birthday, James recorded 9+ hours of sleep, getting a 80%+ Green recovery. “I’ve spent my career doing everything possible to keep my body at peak performance. For the last 11 years, WHOOP has been part of that,” said LeBron, who will star in multimedia ad campaigns for WHOOP. “I know my body better today than I did at 25. I’m not trying to be great for my age. I’m trying to be great, period. That’s why making this partnership official feels like a natural next step.” NBA's Greatest Greatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama Best players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone 10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurus Michael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totals Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside , the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.