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Philip Knight

Co-Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Nike

Search every verified Philip Knight interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, has continued to speak publicly about entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and his legacy. In 2025, Knight was inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, where he described the honor as "huge" and stated that "sport in American life is key to it." He has frequently discussed the challenges of building a business, advising that entrepreneurs must be prepared for "long hours and a lot of dark moments" and need both a "niche" and a "passion" to succeed. Knight has also recounted the early financing struggles of Nike, noting that the company relied on banks and had to make a profit every year to secure loans, a situation he described as "reverse leverage." Knight has addressed several public controversies involving Nike. In 2022, he stated that NBA star Kyrie Irving "stepped over the line" after posting a link to an antisemitic film, and said he was "fine with" Nike's decision to end its relationship with Irving. Regarding Colin Kaepernick, Knight said in 2019 that he did not know if Kaepernick was being "blackballed" from the NFL, but expressed support for Nike's campaign featuring him. Knight has also been active in Oregon politics, donating over $4 million to the 2022 gubernatorial race in an effort to defeat Democrat Tina Kotek, whom he said he opposed due to concerns about crime, homelessness, and drug issues. He stated that he separates his personal political involvement from Nike, noting that the company "contributed money to Tina" and that he does not expect everyone to agree with him.

Recent appearances

Other executives at Nike

  • John Donahoe, Former President, Chief Executive Officer & Director
  • Elliott Hill, Chief Executive Officer, President & Director

The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →