Michael Jordan Awarded $8.9 Million for Lawsuit Against Dominick’s

Closed store Dominick’s has been ordered by a federal jury to pay Michael Jordan $8.9 million for using his identity without permission in an advertisement.

Moments after the verdict was announced Friday at the Dirksen US Courthouse, Michael Jordan said “it was never about the money” adding that he would give the award to charities in Chicago.

“It was all just about protecting my name and my likeness,” the basketball legend said.

Lawyers for Dominick’s owner, Safeway, had argued that it should pay just $126,900 for using Michael Jordan’s identity without permission in a 2009 ad for its Rancher’s Reserve steaks in a special issue of Sports Illustrated commemorating Jordan’s elevation to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

After deliberating for more than six hours at the end of a weeklong trial, the jury came up with a number on August 21 that was far closer to what Michael Jordan asked for – $10 million.

Before the case even went to trial, the court had decided that Dominick’s was liable for running the ad without Michael Jordan’s permission. That meant jurors only had to decide how much Safeway should pay.