Phil Knight: introvert who built £24bn fortune on the back of a craze for jogging

Phil Knight, the former middle-distance runner who founded Nike with his athletics coach in 1964, is stepping down as chairman.

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After half a century of leading the pack at Nike, "there is a finish line in sight" for Phil Knight, says the Financial Times. The former middle-distance runner, who founded the sports shoe and clothing giant with his athletics coach, Bill Bowerman, in 1964, is stepping down as chairman. Starting with just $1,200 in the bank, Knight, 77, is worth some $24bn, having built "one of the greatest success stories in the history of North American business", notes Forbes. Knight didn't just sell shoes, he reinvented branding (see below).

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