Kevin Durant's AI Investment Returns Exceed $60M, Surpassing His NBA Salary
- Kevin Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman invested approximately $250,000 in open-source AI platform Hugging Face through their family office 35V, with reported returns expected to exceed $60 million if Nvidia's reported $12.9 billion acquisition closes.
- The $60 million potential return would surpass Durant's annual NBA salary of approximately $43.9 million with the Houston Rockets for the 2026-27 season.
- 35V participated in Hugging Face's seed round in 2018 (approximately $100,000) and Series A round in 2019 (approximately $150,000), representing a potential 240x return on the initial $250,000 investment.
- Durant's broader venture capital portfolio includes significant positions in Coinbase (+5,275%), Whoop (+7,980%), Robinhood (+1,675%), and Mercury (+5,100%), demonstrating a track record of early-stage tech and crypto investments.
- Unlike peers such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry who focused on brand equity and consumer goods, Durant has pursued a Silicon Valley-focused venture capital strategy since 2010.
NBA superstar Kevin Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman invested approximately $250,000 in open-source AI platform Hugging Face through their family office 35V. According to reports disclosed on August 27, Nvidia is planning to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, which would generate paper returns exceeding $60 million on their early investment—a 240x multiple. This potential return surpasses Durant's annual NBA salary of approximately $43.9 million with the Houston Rockets for the 2026-27 season.
35V participated in Hugging Face's seed round in 2018 (approximately $100,000) and Series A round in 2019 (approximately $150,000). The company, founded in 2016 and known as the "GitHub of AI," was valued at $4.5 billion in its Series D round completed in August and has attracted Nvidia's acquisition interest at $12.9 billion.
Durant's venture capital portfolio extends far beyond Hugging Face. His investments include Coinbase (+5,275%), Whoop (+7,980%), Robinhood (+1,675%), Mercury (+5,100%), and Overtime (+2,480%), among others. This diversified portfolio across crypto infrastructure, fintech, AI, and sports media demonstrates a Silicon Valley-focused investment strategy distinct from peers like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who have focused on brand equity and consumer goods respectively.
As Durant enters the final stage of his playing career with the Houston Rockets, his venture capital empire through 35V continues to generate substantial returns. Since publicly stating in 2010 that he preferred investing over leisure spending, Durant has established himself as a top-tier venture investor, setting an example for athletes seeking wealth preservation beyond their playing years.
凯文·杜兰特AI投资回报超6000万美元，超过其NBA薪资
NBA巨星凯文·杜兰特与商业伙伴里奇·克莱曼通过其家族办公室35V向开源AI平台Hugging Face投资约25万美元。根据8月27日披露的报告，英伟达计划以129亿美元收购Hugging Face，这将使他们的早期投资产生超过6000万美元的账面回报——相当于240倍的回报倍数。这一潜在回报将超过杜兰特在休斯顿火箭队2026-27赛季约4390万美元的年薪。
35V在2018年参与了Hugging Face的种子轮融资（约10万美元）和2019年的A轮融资（约15万美元）。该公司成立于2016年，被誉为"AI的GitHub"，在8月完成的D轮融资中估值为45亿美元，目前吸引了英伟达以129亿美元的价格进行收购。
杜兰特的风险投资组合远不止Hugging Face。他的投资包括Coinbase（+5,275%）、Whoop（+7,980%）、Robinhood（+1,675%）、Mercury（+5,100%）和Overtime（+2,480%）等。这个涵盖加密基础设施、金融科技、AI和体育媒体的多元化投资组合展现了一种硅谷风格的投资策略，有别于专注于品牌股权和消费品的勒布朗·詹姆斯和斯蒂芬·库里。
随着杜兰特在休斯顿火箭队进入职业生涯的最后阶段，他通过35V建立的风险投资帝国继续产生可观回报。自2010年以来，杜兰特公开表示他更愿意投资而非休闲消费，他已确立自己作为顶级风险投资者的地位，为寻求职业生涯后财富保值的运动员树立了榜样。