Black millionaires: Vanessa Bryant net worth

Following the death of her husband early this year, Vanessa Bryant's net worth is $600 million. Vanessa Bryant is the wife and mother of children of the late superstar athlete Kobe Bryant who died alongside his thirteen years old daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash on his way to go and watch his daughter's performance. According to International Business News, the couple has no prenuptial agreement. 

Forbes revealed that at the time of the death of the athlete he had made a fortune of $600 to $770 million from his professional career and different endorsements. Kobe Bryant, in his 20 years NBA career made more than $323 million from NBA salary and almost $350 million from his various endorsements and deals.

According to data compiled by Basketball-Reference and Spotrac in December 2018, Kobe Bryant ranked second among the 25 lists of highest-paid players of all time. As far back as 1996, when Bryant just got started in the game, he was earning a yearly salary of $1 million. By 2013 - 2014, his single-season salary was at $30. 5 million. Upon retirement, Bryant was earning more than $25 million as his salary. 

When he retired from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016, Bryant became the highest-paid athlete in the team sport. His annual salary in Los Angeles Lakers was the highest in the NBA in the final six seasons of his 20 years career. However, despite the fact that Bryant was the highest-paid athlete in the NBA, he was the second-highest paid in the NBA at the time. The first highest-paid athlete was Kevin Garnett,  the former Minnesota Timberwolves/Boston Celtics’ player, who earned $334.3 million in his 21 NBA seasons. Garnett’s highest single-season salary was $28 million.

Before his death, Bryant was a two-time Final MVP, a five-time MBA champion. He also earned the Most Valuable Player of the Year in 2008. During his career, Bryant also made the All-Star Team 18 times. He was the youngest player to reach 30,000 points. By the time he left the Laker, Bryant made a 60 points NBA-season high score in his final game in 2016. 

In February, Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company that operated the helicopter that led to the death of her husband. The lawsuit was filed against Island Express Helicopters, Island Express Holding Corp., and the estate of the pilot, Ara Zobayan. 

It was allegedly reported that Zobayan did not get the weather data. Also, he failed to abort the flight when he learned that the weather was cloudy. 

Court papers reportedly say: “As a result of Kobe Bryant’s and GB’s deaths, Vanessa Bryant seeks economic damages, non-economic damages, prejudgment interest, punitive damages, and other relief as the Court deems just and proper.”

The families of other victims on board the helicopter also filed their own wrongful death lawsuits.