NBA legend Kevin Durant, renowned as one of the greatest basketball players in history, could walk away with $60 million from his early bet on artificial intelligence startup Hugging Face, following reports that chip maker Nvidia has agreed to buy the platform in a $12.9 billion deal.

If the buyout closes at that price, Durant’s initial check would deliver an estimated 23,900% return. That single payout would top what the Houston Rockets forward has made in salary during any single season of his 18-year NBA career.

Kevin Durant’s early Hugging Face investment

Durant got in on the ground floor of Hugging Face nearly a decade ago, putting $100,000 into its seed round before adding another $150,000 during its Series A funding round. He made his backing public as early as 2017, writing on social media at the time that he was a “proud investor” in the startup.

That early check came when Durant was already an established league star, but just beginning to look beyond the court. Alongside his longtime business partner Rich Kleiman, he channeled those ambitions into 35V, an investment firm that has steadily backed emerging tech and consumer brands over the past decade.

Kevin Durant’s business empire keeps growing

While Durant has earned more than $500 million in on-court salary throughout his career, he has never crossed the $60 million mark in a single year. His highest playing salary came last season at $53.3 million, and he is scheduled to make $43.9 million this season under a two-year, $90 million deal with Houston.

The Hugging Face windfall highlights how quickly Durant’s off-court income has grown to rival his athletic contracts. He pulled in $49 million from endorsements and licensing deals in the 12 months through May 2026, working with long-term partners such as Nike, FanDuel and Fanatics.

Through 35V, Durant and Kleiman have placed money into more than 80 startups across enterprise software, consumer products and sports media. Their portfolio holds early stakes in public names like Robinhood and Coinbase, alongside venture-backed firms including Acorns, Dapper Labs, Kalshi, Spindrift and Whoop.

Durant’s tech investments drive wealth

Durant has also invested directly in sports and entertainment. He co-founded Boardroom, a sports media company, and served as an executive producer of “Two Distant Strangers,” which won an Oscar in 2021. His sports holdings include stakes in Philadelphia Union, Gotham FC, a Major League Pickleball team and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 16-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion has played for six franchises: the Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets. As Durant enters the later stages of his playing career, the reported Hugging Face deal underscores the value of his early technology investments. A relatively small stake in the company could generate a return exceeding the value of many NBA contracts.