Michael Jordan's latest $70 million toy is one that Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos also have

Originally posted on Basketball Network
By Shane Garry Acedera | Last updated Dec 14, 2024 9:19 PM ET

Last October, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan attended NASCAR's Yellawood 500 race at the Talladega Superspeedway as Team 23XI Racing's team owner. But that wasn't the big news. It was Jordan touching down at the Talladega Municipal Airport in style. MJ flew to watch his team on a custom-painted Gulfstream G650ER jet. It's also a toy that his fellow billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have.

Previously, MJ was seen flying private on a Gulfstream 550 plane he acquired in 2016.Upon checking, both jets bore the same tail plate, N236MJ. Since aeroplanes are required to have unique tail plates, it could very well be that Jordan sold his old plane and upgraded to a new one.

The new jet lists its owner as MJ AIR LLC

The Gulfstream G650ER was launched in 2014 and is one of the largest and fastest long-range business aircraft. Built by Gulfstream Aerospace, it is powered by two Rolls Royce BR725 engines, which help it reach a 0.925 Mach speed. The jet has an impressive 7,500-nautical mile flying range, 500 nautical miles longer than its predecessor model, the Gulfstream G650.

Per FAA registry checking, the N236MJ numbered jet was manufactured in 2024 and registered on October 1, 2024, under MJ AIR LLC. whose address was listed as Jump Management at 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW Ste 400, Washington, which is Jordan's office address. Without Mike admitting he bought a new airplane, it cannot be denied that the stylishly painted bird with a white Jumpman logo on its tail belongs to him.

Michael Jordan’s new $70 million Gulfstream G650ER is incredible.

The tail number is N236MJ and the custom paint job probably cost over $500,000. pic.twitter.com/T9Q2yAXZxP
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) October 8, 2024

The tail number also gives away its owner. The 'N' is a prefix used for aircraft registered in the United States. Of course, 23 is Jordan's jersey number, while 6 represents the number of championships he won. MJ is even easier to remember as it's not just his initials but one of his most popular nicknames.

Mike is fond of vanity plates

Speaking of its tail number, Jordan is fond of vanity plates related to himself, as we've seen in his insane car collection. Although Mike's first car, a 1976 Grand Prix, carried the plate 'Magic Jordan', some of his succeeding cars have 23, MJ, or Air as part of their license plates.

During his rookie season in the NBA, he had a Chevrolet deal that netted him a C4 with an Illinois plate 'JUMP 23'. His Airness also had cars that used Jump 23, M Air J, Two Trey, and Air. He also once owned a 1997 Porsche Turbo S with the license plate 'MCL JRDN', which he lost in a golf bet.

Jordan's latest toy is estimated to cost $65-70 million, which isn't peanuts, even for a billionaire with a $3.5 billion net worth. So, while he can afford to lose a $150,000 Porsche in a golf gamble, don't expect him to bet his new jet anytime on anything.

This article first appeared on Basketball Network and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: