View source for Phil Knight

{{Short description|American billionaire business magnate (born 1938)}}
{{About|the businessman|other people}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2016}}  
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Phil Knight
| image              = Phil Knight with Tom Matthyssens in Universal Studios Orlando 1999 (cropped).jpg
| image_size         = 
| caption            = Knight in 1999
| birth_name         = Philip Hampson Knight
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1938|2|24}}
| birth_place        = [[Portland, Oregon]], U.S.
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| resting_place      =
| education          = {{ubl|[[University of Oregon]] ([[Bachelor of Business Administration|BBA]])|[[Stanford University]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]])}}
| occupation         = Businessman
| spouse             = {{marriage|Penny Parks|September 13, 1968}}
| children           = 2, including [[Travis Knight]]
| father             = [[William W. Knight (publisher)|William W. Knight]]
| website            = 
}}

'''Philip Hampson Knight''' (born February 24, 1938) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist who is the co-founder and chairman ''[[emeritus]]'' of [[Nike, Inc.]], a global [[sports equipment]] and [[apparel]] company. He was previously its chairman and CEO.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 30, 2015 |title=Nike's Knight, 77, handing off chairman duties |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13176681/nike-phil-knight-77-handing-chairman-duties |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730090839/http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/13176681/nike-phil-knight-77-handing-chairman-duties |archive-date=July 30, 2016 |access-date=July 1, 2015 |website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> As of October 2025, ''[[Forbes]]'' estimated his net worth at US$35.4 billion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/phil-knight/?list=rtb#7d0646041dcb |title=Phil Knight & family |work=Forbes |access-date=July 23, 2020 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724023506/https://www.forbes.com/profile/phil-knight/?list=rtb#7d0646041dcb |url-status=live }}</ref> He is also the owner of the [[stop motion]] film production company [[Laika, LLC|Laika]]. Knight is a graduate of the [[University of Oregon]] and the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]]. He was part of the track and field club under coach [[Bill Bowerman]] at the University of Oregon with whom he would later co-found Nike.

Knight has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to each of his ''alma maters'', as well as [[Oregon Health & Science University]]. He has donated over $2 billion to these three institutions.<ref name="total gifts to charity and oregon super gift">{{cite news|last1=Rogoway|first1=Mike|title=Phil and Penny Knight's charitable contributions top $2 billion|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/10/phil_and_penny_knights_charita.html|access-date=11 July 2017|newspaper=The Oregonian|archive-date=September 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918064811/http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/10/phil_and_penny_knights_charita.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Early life==
[[File:Track runners 1958 - Phil Knight second from right.jpg|thumb|Knight (second from right) running track in 1958]]
Phil Hampson Knight was born on February 24, 1938, in [[Portland, Oregon]], to [[William W. Knight (publisher)|Bill Knight]], a lawyer turned newspaper publisher, and his wife, Lota Cloy (née Hatfield) Knight.<ref name=stanford>{{cite journal|last=Krentzman|first=Jackie|year=1997|title=The Force Behind the Nike Empire|journal=Stanford Magazine|url=http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1997/janfeb/articles/knight.html|access-date=May 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625221415/http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1997/janfeb/articles/knight.html|archive-date=June 25, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=answers>[http://www.answers.com/topic/phil-knight "Phil Knight".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828231339/http://www.answers.com/topic/phil-knight |date=August 28, 2017 }} Accessed May 13, 2012.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://umpquavalleymuseums.pastperfectonline.com/photo/EDDA96B9-D3E3-44D7-AF35-694743329904|title=N13657 - REMARKS:Elijah "Lige" Hatfield holding his great-grandson Phillip Hanson Knight (Who became the president of Nike Corp.); Harry F. Hatfield is at right and his daughter, Lota Clay Hatfield Knight, is at left. Four generations at Dixonville, Oregon, 1938. &#124; Douglas County Museum of History & Natural History|access-date=December 12, 2020|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214172159/https://umpquavalleymuseums.pastperfectonline.com/photo/EDDA96B9-D3E3-44D7-AF35-694743329904|url-status=live}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2025}} He grew up in the Portland neighborhood of [[Eastmoreland, Portland, Oregon|Eastmoreland]], and attended [[Cleveland High School (Portland, Oregon)|Cleveland High School]]. According to one source, "When his father refused to give him a summer job at his newspaper [the now defunct ''[[Oregon Journal]]''], believing that his son should find work on his own," Knight "went to the rival ''[[The Oregonian|Oregonian]]'', where he worked the morning shift tabulating sports scores and every morning ran home the full {{convert|7|mi}}."<ref>Susan Hauser (4 May 1992). [http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20112607,00.html "Must Be the Shoes"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084501/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20112607,00.html |date=March 4, 2016 }}. ''People''. Accessed 12 January 2018.</ref>

Knight continued his education at the [[University of Oregon]] in [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]], where he ran for the famed Oregon track and field program, was a sports reporter for the ''[[Oregon Daily Emerald]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.phigam.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1995|title=Phi Gamma Delta|website=www.phigam.org|access-date=2019-02-01|archive-date=February 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202042407/https://www.phigam.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1995|url-status=live}}</ref> and was a member of [[Phi Gamma Delta]] fraternity. Knight earned a business degree (B.B.A.) in 1959 in just three years.<ref name="Knight's B.B.A. degree">{{cite web |title=Eighty-Second Commencement |url=https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/13368/UOCAT_Jun_1959_Comm.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |website=scholarsbank.uoregon.edu |publisher=University of Oregon |access-date=5 April 2022 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814062414/https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/13368/UOCAT_Jun_1959_Comm.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}</ref> That same year, Knight also received his Army Reserve Commission and was a [[Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps#Distinguished Military Graduate Award|"''Distinguished Military Graduate''"]].<ref name="Knight's B.B.A. degree" />

As a middle-distance runner at Oregon, his personal best was {{convert|1|mi|km}} in 4 minutes, 13 seconds,<ref>{{cite web | title = Notable Oregonians: Phil Knight&nbsp;— Innovator, Business Leader | publisher = Oregon Blue Book | url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/explore/notable/knight.aspx | access-date = June 1, 2008 | archive-date = October 26, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181026025052/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/explore/notable/knight.aspx | url-status = live }}</ref> and he won [[varsity letter]]s for his track performances in 1957, 1958, and 1959. In 1977, together with Bowerman and Geoff Hollister, Knight founded an American running team called [[Athletics West]].<ref name=history>{{cite web|author1=Jeed S|title=History of Athletics West|url=https://jeeeed.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/history-of-athletics-west/|website=A Pride As An Asian|publisher=Wordpress|access-date=December 12, 2014|date=November 4, 2010|archive-date=August 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812181904/https://jeeeed.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/history-of-athletics-west/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==
===Early career===
[[File:Phil Knight-1957.jpg|thumb|150px|Knight in the 1957 ''Oregana'']]
Before Blue Ribbon Sports—later Nike—flourished, Knight worked as a  [[Certified Public Accountant]], first with [[Coopers & Lybrand]], and then [[Price Waterhouse]]. Knight then became an accounting professor at [[Portland State University]].<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html Anne M. Peterson, "Nike's Phil Knight resigns as Coo," ''Seattle Times'', November 19, 2021.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705011758/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html |date=July 5, 2012 }} Accessed May 13, 2022.</ref>

===Nike Inc.===
Immediately after graduating from the University of Oregon, Knight enlisted in the Army and served one year on active duty and seven years in the [[United States Army Reserve|Army Reserve]].<ref name=stanford/> He next enrolled at [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]],<ref name=stanford/> where, for his small business class, Knight produced a paper, "Can Japanese Sports Shoes Do to German Sports Shoes What Japanese Cameras Did to German Cameras?", that essentially foretold his eventual foray into selling running shoes. His ambition was to import high-quality and low-cost running shoes from Japan into the American market. He graduated with a master's degree in business administration from Stanford in 1962.<ref name=stanford/>

Knight set out on a trip around the world after graduation, during which he made a stop in [[Kobe, Japan]], in November 1962. It was there that he discovered [[Onitsuka Tiger|Tiger brand]] running shoes, manufactured in Kobe by the [[Onitsuka Tiger Corsair|Onitsuka Co.]], now known as [[Asics]]. Impressed by the quality and low cost of the shoes, Knight called Mr. Onitsuka, who agreed to meet with him. By the end of the meeting, Knight had secured Tiger distribution rights for the western United States.<ref name="uv">{{cite web|url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/am483_97/projects/hincker/nikhist.html|work=University of Virginia|title=Nike History and Timeline|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009144413/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/am483_97/projects/hincker/nikhist.html|archive-date=October 9, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The first Tiger samples would take more than a year to be shipped to Knight; during that time he found a job as an accountant in Portland. When Knight finally received the shoe samples, he mailed two pairs to Bowerman at the University of Oregon, hoping to gain both a sale and an influential endorsement. To Knight's surprise, Bowerman not only ordered the Tiger shoes, but also offered to become a partner with Knight and provide product design ideas. The two men agreed to a partnership by handshake on January 25, 1964, the birth date of [[Blue Ribbon Sports]], the company that would later become Nike.<ref name="His">{{cite web|title=History & Heritage|url=http://nikeinc.com/pages/history-heritage|work=Nike, Inc|publisher=Nike|access-date=May 19, 2014|year=2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515080658/http://nikeinc.com/pages/history-heritage|archive-date=May 15, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Knight's first sales were made out of a now storied green [[Plymouth Valiant]] automobile at track meets across the [[Pacific Northwest]]. By 1969, these early sales allowed Knight to leave his accountant job and work full-time for Blue Ribbon Sports.<ref name="uv"/>

Jeff Johnson, Nike's first full time employee, suggested calling the firm "Nike," named after the Greek [[Nike (mythology)|winged goddess of victory]],<ref name="Shoe Dog">{{cite book|first=Phil|last=Knight|title=Shoe Dog: Young Readers Edition|publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]]|year=2017|pages=229–230|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q4Q2DwAAQBAJ&q=Falconbengaldimensionsix&pg=PA228|isbn=9781534401181|access-date=October 22, 2020|archive-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219041928/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q4Q2DwAAQBAJ&q=Falconbengaldimensionsix&pg=PA228#v=onepage&q=Falconbengaldimensionsix&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> and Blue Ribbon Sports was subsequently renamed Nike in 1971.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/katevinton/2017/06/30/phil-knights-net-worth-jumps-1-9-billion-after-announcement-of-nike-deal-with-amazon/#6c8018255f45|title=Phil Knight's Net Worth Jumps $1.9 Billion After Announcement Of Nike Deal With Amazon|last=Vinton|first=Kate|work=Forbes|access-date=2017-10-01|language=en|archive-date=October 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001165811/https://www.forbes.com/sites/katevinton/2017/06/30/phil-knights-net-worth-jumps-1-9-billion-after-announcement-of-nike-deal-with-amazon/#6c8018255f45|url-status=live}}</ref>

Nike's "[[swoosh]]" logo, now considered one of the most valuable logos in the world, was commissioned for $35 from graphic design student [[Carolyn Davidson (graphic designer)|Carolyn Davidson]] in 1971.<ref>{{cite news
 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3527512.stm
 | title = Nike gives board seniors the boot
 | date = August 2, 2004
 | publisher = BBC
 | access-date = June 28, 2009
 | archive-date = December 8, 2017
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171208231634/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3527512.stm
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> According to Nike's website, Knight said at the time: "I don't love it, but it will grow on me." In September 1983, Davidson was given an undisclosed amount of Nike stock for her contribution to the company's brand. On the ''[[Oprah Winfrey|Oprah]]'' television program in April 2011, Knight said he gave Davidson "a few hundred shares" when the company went public.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.magneticstate.com/blogdept/what-does-the-nike-logo-mean/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324070144/http://www.magneticstate.com/blogdept/what-does-the-nike-logo-mean/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 24, 2015|title=What Does the Nike Logo Mean?|access-date=September 6, 2016}}</ref>

At Nike, Knight developed personal relationships with some of the world's most recognizable athletes, including [[Michael Jordan]] and [[Tiger Woods]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/nike-founder-phil-knight-talks-working-with-mj-tiger-woods-more-news.34417.html|title=Nike Founder Phil Knight Talks Working With MJ, Tiger Woods +More|work=HotNewHipHop|access-date=2018-07-12|archive-date=July 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712184138/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/nike-founder-phil-knight-talks-working-with-mj-tiger-woods-more-news.34417.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/phil-knight-talks-about-why-nike-is-standing-behind-tiger-woods|title=Phil Knight talks about why Nike is standing behind Tiger Woods|date=2009-12-14|work=Washington Examiner|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en|archive-date=July 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712182904/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/phil-knight-talks-about-why-nike-is-standing-behind-tiger-woods|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Vinton Studios becomes Laika===
Following mainstream success in the late 1990s, [[Will Vinton]] Studios animation company sought external investors due to rapid growth. Knight assumed a 15 percent stake in the company in 1998, and his son [[Travis Knight (animator)|Travis]]—who had graduated from Portland State following an unsuccessful attempt at a rap music career—went to work at the studio as an animator.<ref name="Price">{{cite web|title=How the Father of Claymation Lost His Company|url=http://priceonomics.com/how-the-father-of-claymation-lost-his-company/|work=Priceonomics|access-date=May 19, 2014|author=Zachary Crockett|date=May 9, 2014|archive-date=May 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519062753/http://priceonomics.com/how-the-father-of-claymation-lost-his-company/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Citing mismanagement, Knight eventually purchased Will Vinton Studios and assumed control of the company's board with the cooperation of Nike executives. In late 2003, Knight appointed his son to the board and, after Vinton had stepped down—prior to leaving the company with a severance package—Knight rebranded the company [[Laika, LLC|Laika]]. He then invested $180 million into Laika, and the studio released its first feature film, ''[[Coraline (film)|Coraline]]'', in [[stop motion]], in 2009. ''Coraline'' was a financial success and Travis Knight was then promoted into the roles of Laika CEO and president.<ref name="Price" /><ref name="Fast">{{cite magazine | first = Chuck | last = Salter | title = The Knights' Tale | magazine = Fast Company | date = December 19, 2007 | url = http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-the-knights-tale.html | access-date = October 27, 2009 | archive-date = December 1, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091201050843/http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-the-knights-tale.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Death of Matthew Knight===
In May 2004, two years after Knight bought Vinton, his son Matthew, aged 34 years, traveled to [[El Salvador]] to film a fund-raising video for Christian Children of the World, a Portland [[nonprofit organization]]. However, while scuba diving with his colleagues Vincenzo Iannuzzelli and Robert McDonell in [[Lake Ilopango]], near [[San Salvador]], he died from a heart attack {{convert|150|ft|-1}} underwater due to an undetected congenital heart defect.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-05-26 |title=Nike heir dies in diving accident |url=https://www.theage.com.au/world/nike-heir-dies-in-diving-accident-20040526-gdxx4o.html |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=The Age |language=en}}</ref> Knight and Travis traveled to El Salvador to return Matthew's body to the US.<ref name="Fast" /> Laika Studio's 2005 short film ''Moongirl'' was dedicated to Matthew's memory.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/08/19/the-rise-of-travis-knight-the-son-of-nikes-founder-who-built-an-animation-powerhouse/|title=The rise of Travis Knight, the son of Nike's founder who built an animation powerhouse|last=Cavna|first=Michael|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2017-10-01|archive-date=April 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418165054/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/08/19/the-rise-of-travis-knight-the-son-of-nikes-founder-who-built-an-animation-powerhouse/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Knight resigned as Nike CEO on November 18, 2004, several months after Matthew's funeral <ref name="Fast" /> but retained the position of chairman of the board.<ref>{{cite news | first = Anne M. | last = Peterson | title = Nike's Phil Knight resigns as CEO | newspaper = The Seattle Times | date = November 19, 2004 | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html | access-date = June 1, 2008 | archive-date = July 5, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120705011758/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first = Eric | last = Dash | title = Founder of Nike to Hand Off Job to a New Chief | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date = November 19, 2004 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/19/business/19nike.html | access-date = June 1, 2008 | archive-date = May 28, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150528052651/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/19/business/19nike.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Knight's replacement was [[William Perez]], former CEO of [[S.C. Johnson & Son]], Inc., who was eventually replaced by [[Mark Parker]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news | first = Michael | last = Barbaro | author2 = Dash, Eric | title = Another Outsider Falls Casualty to Nike's Insider Culture | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date = January 24, 2006 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/business/24nike.html?_r=1&oref=slogin | access-date = June 2, 2008 | archive-date = October 18, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151018135843/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/business/24nike.html?_r=1&oref=slogin | url-status = live }}</ref>

In 2011, the [[Matthew Knight Arena]] at the University of Oregon was named in his honor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2011/01/oregon_basketball_ducks_phil_k.html|title=Oregon basketball: Emotions high as Phil Knight opens Matthew Knight Arena|work=OregonLive.com|access-date=2017-04-03|language=en-US|archive-date=March 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311080310/http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2011/01/oregon_basketball_ducks_phil_k.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Post-Nike CEO role===
During the 2009–2010 period, Knight was the largest single contributor to the campaign to defeat [[Oregon Ballot Measures 66 and 67 (2010)|Oregon Ballot Measures 66 and 67]], which, once passed, increased income tax on some corporations and high-income individuals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/03/the_closing_tally_on_measures.html|title=The closing tally on the Measures 66 and 67 campaigns: $12.5 million|date=March 4, 2010|access-date=January 4, 2011|archive-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801223017/http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/03/the_closing_tally_on_measures.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2015, Knight and Nike announced that he would step down as the company's chairman, with president and CEO Mark Parker to succeed him.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ballerstatus.com/2015/06/30/phil-knight-to-step-down-as-nikes-chairman/ |title=Phil Knight To Step Down As Nike's Chairman |publisher=BallerStatus.com |date=June 30, 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13176681/nike-phil-knight-77-handing-chairman-duties |title=Phil Knight, 77, to step down from chairman role of Nike |work=ESPN |date=June 30, 2015 |access-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730090839/http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/13176681/nike-phil-knight-77-handing-chairman-duties |url-status=live }}</ref> Knight's retirement from the Nike board took effect at the end of June 2016. In September 2017, Knight decided to come out of retirement to put black back in the UNC jerseys for the Phil Knight Classic in Portland, Oregon.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sell|first=Sarah Skidmore|title=Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight Retires From Board|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/nike-founder-phil-knight-retires-board-40260663|access-date=July 1, 2016|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|agency=Associated Press|date=June 30, 2016|archive-date=July 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705142047/http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/nike-founder-phil-knight-retires-board-40260663|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="wsj-2016jun30">{{cite news|last=Stynes|first=Tess|title=Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight Officially Retires as Chairman|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/nike-co-founder-officially-retires-as-chairman-1467320857|access-date=July 1, 2016|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=June 30, 2016|archive-date=April 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401185159/https://www.wsj.com/articles/nike-co-founder-officially-retires-as-chairman-1467320857|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Memoir===
Knight's memoir, ''[[Shoe Dog (book)|Shoe Dog]]'', was released on April 26, 2016, by [[Simon & Schuster]], was rated fifth on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]] for business books in July 2018,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2018/07/15/business-books/ |title=Books Best Sellers - Business |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=16 October 2018 |archive-date=October 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017002000/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2018/07/15/business-books/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and details the building of the Nike brand, from importing Japanese shoes to being part of a federal investigation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Riley|title=Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight's Memoir Just Got a Release Date|url=http://www.complex.com/sneakers/2016/01/phil-knight-shoe-dog-release-date|website=Complex.com|publisher=Complex|access-date=February 17, 2016|archive-date=February 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202152000/http://www.complex.com/sneakers/2016/01/phil-knight-shoe-dog-release-date|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Shoe-Dog|title=An Honest Tale of What It Takes to Succeed in Business|last=Gates|first=Bill|work=gatesnotes.com|access-date=2017-04-14|language=en-US|archive-date=June 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180607182352/https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Shoe-Dog|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Philanthropy==
As of July 2021, Knight has a net worth of $60.8 billion.<ref name="philk_net">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/phil-h-knight/ |title=Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Phil Knight |website=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]] |access-date=July 10, 2021 |archive-date=February 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219041827/https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1990, Knight founded the Philip H. Knight Charitable Foundation Trust.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kish|first=Matthew|date=2018-11-15|title=What 20 years of tax records tell us about Phil Knight's giving|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2018/11/15/what-20-years-of-tax-records-tell-us-about-phil.html|access-date=October 17, 2020|archive-date=December 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206112731/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2018/11/15/what-20-years-of-tax-records-tell-us-about-phil.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2016, according to ''[[Portland Business Journal]]'', "Knight is the most generous philanthropist in Oregon history. His lifetime gifts now approach $2 billion."<ref>[https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2016/12/28/as-philanthropy-ramps-up-phil-knight-gifts-112.html Kish, Matthew] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510164329/http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2016/12/28/as-philanthropy-ramps-up-phil-knight-gifts-112.html |date=May 10, 2017 }} ''Portland Business Journal'': "As philanthropy ramps up, Phil Knight gifts $112 million in Nike stock", 28 December 2016.</ref> In 2023, Knight was America's second largest donor with $1.2 billion in giving.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Di Mento |first=Maria |date=5 March 2024 |title=Philanthropy 50 |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/the-philanthropy-50/#id=details_376_2023 |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=Chronicle of Philanthropy}}</ref>

===Stanford University===
In 2006, Knight donated US$105 million to the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]], which, at the time, was the largest ever individual donation to a U.S. business school. The campus was named "The Knight Management Center," in honor of Knight's philanthropic service to the school.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/newsroom/school-news/nike-founder-phil-knight-give-105-million-stanford-gsb|title=Nike Founder Phil Knight to Give $105 Million to Stanford GSB|newspaper=Stanford Graduate School of Business|language=en|access-date=January 24, 2017|archive-date=June 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611001044/https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/newsroom/school-news/nike-founder-phil-knight-give-105-million-stanford-gsb|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, it was announced that Knight contributed $400 million to start the [[Knight-Hennessy Scholars]] graduate-level education program inspired by the [[Rhodes Scholarship]].<ref name="knight scholar">{{cite news|last1=Stanley|first1=Alessandra|title=Philip Knight of Nike to Give $400 Million to Stanford Scholars|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/business/philip-knight-of-nike-to-give-400-million-to-stanford-scholars.html|access-date=February 24, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 24, 2016|archive-date=October 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030115203/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/business/philip-knight-of-nike-to-give-400-million-to-stanford-scholars.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Graduates are charged to tackle global challenges, such as [[climate change]] and [[poverty]]. The first class of 51 scholars from 21 countries was scheduled to arrive at Stanford in the fall of 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Garcia|first1=Ahiza|title=Nike's Phil Knight gives $400 million to Stanford University|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/02/24/news/nike-phil-knight-stanford-donation/|work=CNNMoney|access-date=February 24, 2016|date=February 24, 2016|archive-date=December 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213134817/https://money.cnn.com/2016/02/24/news/nike-phil-knight-stanford-donation/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Amini |first1=Mariam |title=Alphabet's John Hennessy talks about helping international students with scholarships |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/03/alphabets-john-hennessy-talks-about-helping-international-students-with-scholarships.html |publisher=CNBC |date=3 Mar 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813210412/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/03/alphabets-john-hennessy-talks-about-helping-international-students-with-scholarships.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/faq FAQ for Knight-Hennessy Scholars] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810195134/https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/faq |date=August 10, 2016 }} Stanford. Retrieved February 24, 2016</ref>

In May 2022, it was announced that Phil and Penny Knight gifted Stanford $75 million to establish the Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience. The initiative will be housed at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and is set to study the cognitive decline and degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.<ref>{{cite journal|date=2 May 2022|url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/phil-and-penny-knight-give-stanford-75-million-to-study-the-causes-of-cognitive-decline|title=Phil and Penny Knight Give Stanford $75 Million to Study the Causes of Cognitive Decline|journal=The Chronicle of Philanthropy|access-date=5 May 2022|archive-date=May 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502151323/https://www.philanthropy.com/article/phil-and-penny-knight-give-stanford-75-million-to-study-the-causes-of-cognitive-decline|url-status=live}}</ref>

===University of Oregon===
{{See also|Nike and the University of Oregon}}
As of 2023, Knight has donated over one billion dollars to the University of Oregon.<ref name="Knight second major gift">{{cite news |last1=Lorin |first1=Janet |title=Knight Gives Another $500 Million to University of Oregon |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-06/phil-knight-gives-another-500-million-to-university-of-oregon?leadSource=uverify%20wall |access-date=6 February 2023 |publisher=Bloomberg }}</ref> It is believed that Knight made his first major contribution in the late 1980s.<ref name="Library" /> By 2000 Knight had already contributed over $50 million to UO.<ref name="Knight pulls all money">{{cite news |title=Knight pulls all money |url=https://www.dailyemerald.com/archives/knight-pulls-all-money/article_fd024756-0a05-503e-98c3-83e6b4957787.html |access-date=6 February 2023 |publisher=The Daily Emerald |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206204908/https://www.dailyemerald.com/archives/knight-pulls-all-money/article_fd024756-0a05-503e-98c3-83e6b4957787.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was UO's 2018–19 honorary degree recipient.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philip H. Knight {{!}} Office of the President |url=https://president.uoregon.edu/honorary-degrees/philip-h-knight |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=president.uoregon.edu}}</ref>

====UO Academics====
Major gifts include funds supporting the renovation of the [[Knight Library]] and construction of the Knight Law Center. Contrary to press reports, which claim that Knight financed the whole library renovation project, Knight only financed a portion of the library's renovation.<ref name="Knight gifts (Oregonian)">{{cite news |last1=Rogoway |first1=Mike |title=Phil and Penny Knight's charitable contributions top $2 billion |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2016/10/phil_and_penny_knights_charita.html |access-date=6 February 2023 |publisher=The Oregonian |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206202459/https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2016/10/phil_and_penny_knights_charita.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Knight gifts PBJ">{{cite news |last1=Kish |first1=Matthew |title=A closer look at the Knight family's giving to the University of Oregon |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2021/07/06/nike-phil-knight-oregon-donations.html |access-date=6 February 2023 |publisher=Portland Business Journal |ref=Knight gifts PBJ |archive-date=July 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706120931/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2021/07/06/nike-phil-knight-oregon-donations.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Library">{{cite web |title=Knight Library Renovation and Expansion |url=https://library.uoregon.edu/knight/expansion |website=UO Libraries |publisher=University of Oregon Libraries |access-date=6 February 2023 |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206202453/https://library.uoregon.edu/knight/expansion |url-status=live }}</ref> Knight also established endowed chairs across the campus.<ref name="oregon academic gifts">{{cite news|last1=Brettman|first1=Allan|title=Phil and Penny Knight, thanks to Nike fortune, have given more than $1 billion in philanthropy|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/index.ssf/2014/08/phil_and_penny_knight_thanks_t.html|newspaper=The Oregonian|date=August 12, 2014|access-date=February 24, 2016|archive-date=December 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171217011626/http://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/index.ssf/2014/08/phil_and_penny_knight_thanks_t.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the fall of 2016, it was announced that Knight will donate $500 million to UO for a new three-building laboratory and research science complex.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Theen|first1=Andrew|title=Phil and Penny Knight will give $500 million to University of Oregon for science complex|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/10/phil_and_penny_knight_will_giv.html#incart_breaking|access-date=October 18, 2016|newspaper=The Oregonian|archive-date=December 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171217022907/http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/10/phil_and_penny_knight_will_giv.html#incart_breaking|url-status=live}}</ref> This donation was part of a series of large higher-education gifts.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://harvardmagazine.com/2017/01/brevia|title=JOHN HARVARD'S JOURNAL Brevia|date=January–February 2017|magazine=Harvard Magazine|access-date=January 31, 2017|archive-date=September 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918065217/http://harvardmagazine.com/2017/01/brevia|url-status=live}}</ref>

====UO Athletic Department (Oregon Ducks)====
Knight contributed towards the Moshofsky Center, which opened in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |title=Moshofsky Center |url=https://goducks.com/sports/2011/6/21/205174864.aspx |website=Go Ducks |publisher=University of Oregon Athletics |access-date=6 February 2023 |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206212050/https://goducks.com/sports/2011/6/21/205174864.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Knight gifts (Oregonian)" />

[[File:Autzen Stadium Exterior.jpg|thumb|Exterior of [[Autzen Stadium]], [[University of Oregon]] ]]
In August 2007, Knight announced that he and his wife would be donating US$100 million to found the UO Athletics Legacy Fund to help support all athletic programs at the university. In response, athletic director Pat Kilkenny said: "This extraordinary gift will set Oregon athletics on a course toward certain self sufficiency and create the flexibility and financial capacity for the university to move forward with the new athletic arena." At the time, the donation was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the university.<ref>{{cite web|title=Knight's $100 million gift to bankroll Oregon athletics fund|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news/story?id=2984161|work=ESPN College Sports|access-date=May 19, 2014|agency=Associated Press|date=August 21, 2007|archive-date=December 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208063857/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2984161|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 2010 construction of the UO basketball team's [[Matthew Knight Arena]] was the result of a partnership between Knight and former Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny. Although Knight didn't pay for the project directly, he established a $100 million "Athletic Legacy Fund." The fund supports the athletic department.<ref name="athletic legacy fund uo">{{cite news|last1=Bolt|first1=Greg|title=Legacy Fund gives UO a leg up on financing|url=http://projects.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/25701218-57/million-seats-suites-arena-opened.csp|access-date=February 25, 2016|newspaper=The Register-Guard|date=January 4, 2011|archive-date=May 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510120517/http://projects.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/25701218-57/million-seats-suites-arena-opened.csp|url-status=live}}</ref> Named after Knight's deceased son, the venue replaced the McArthur Court building and cost over US$200 million to build. The facility was built using bonds backed by the State of Oregon.<ref name="athletic legacy fund uo" />

Knight was responsible for financing the UO's US$68 million 145,000 square-foot [[gridiron football]] facility that was officially opened in late July 2013. Knight's personal locker in the team's locker room displays the title "Uncle Phil", and other features include a gym with Brazilian hardwood floors, Apple [[iPhone]] chargers in each of the players' lockers, various auditoriums and meeting rooms, a games room for the players that includes flat-screen televisions and [[foosball]] machines, and a cafeteria.<ref>{{cite web|title=Oregon's New $68-Million Football Facility Is Like Nothing We've Ever Seen In College Sports|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/new-oregon-football-building-photos-2013-7|work=Business Insider|access-date=May 19, 2014|author=Tony Manfred|date=July 31, 2014|archive-date=May 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519113518/http://www.businessinsider.com/new-oregon-football-building-photos-2013-7|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Phil Knight Has His Own Locker In Oregon's New $68-Million Football Facility|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/phil-knight-own-locker-oregon-football-facility-2013-9|work=Business Insider|access-date=May 19, 2014|author=Tony Manfred|date=September 20, 2013|archive-date=May 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519113815/http://www.businessinsider.com/phil-knight-own-locker-oregon-football-facility-2013-9|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=New Photos From Inside Oregon's Monstrous $68-Million Football Facility|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-oregon-football-facility-pictures-2013-8|work=Business Insider|access-date=May 19, 2014|author=Tony Manfred|date=August 1, 2013|archive-date=May 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519112917/http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-oregon-football-facility-pictures-2013-8|url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 2015, it was announced that Knight and his wife would be donating $19.2 million towards a new sports complex project at the University of Oregon. The plans for the 29,000 square foot complex was announced in September. Construction started in January 2016 and ended in September 2016.<ref name=AP>{{cite news|last1=Associated Press|title=Nike co-founder donates millions for new UO sports complex named after Mariota|url=http://katu.com/news/local/nike-co-founder-donates-millions-for-new-uo-sports-complex-named-after-mariota|newspaper=Katu|access-date=December 3, 2015|date=November 12, 2015|archive-date=December 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220053624/http://katu.com/news/local/nike-co-founder-donates-millions-for-new-uo-sports-complex-named-after-mariota|url-status=live}}</ref> The sports complex was named the [[Marcus Mariota]] Sports Performance Center and includes [[motion capture]] systems, neurocognitive assessment tools, [[40-yard dash]] track, and steam machines made by Nike to help athletes break into their footwear more quickly.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2017/02/ducks_says_marcus_mariota_spor.html|title=Oregon Ducks say Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center's function matches its flash|work=OregonLive.com|access-date=2017-04-14|language=en-US|archive-date=September 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918064214/http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2017/02/ducks_says_marcus_mariota_spor.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2021, Knight helped to fund the renovation of [[Hayward Field]], a track and field stadium at the university. The project was estimated to cost $270 million, although Knight's total contribution remained private.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oregonian/OregonLive|first=Jeff Manning {{!}} The|date=2021-03-09|title=Phil Knight's University of Oregon donations push $1 billion mark with new Hayward field project|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/03/knights-university-of-oregon-donations-push-1-billion-mark-with-new-hayward-field-project.html|access-date=2021-03-22|website=oregonlive|language=en|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318224536/https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/03/knights-university-of-oregon-donations-push-1-billion-mark-with-new-hayward-field-project.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Controversy====
[[File:Philknightfootball.jpg|thumb|Knight at an [[Oregon Ducks]] football game in [[2010 Oregon Ducks football season|2010]]]]{{Criticism section|date=July 2025}}
Knight's contributions to the athletic department at UO have also led to controversy.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Fish|title=Just do it!|work=ESPN|date=January 13, 2006|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=2285500|access-date=June 1, 2008|archive-date=April 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430205411/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2285500|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2000, student leaders began organizing an [[anti-sweatshop movement|anti-sweatshop]] and fair labor practices campaign, and called for Dave Frohnmayer, president of the school, to support the [[Workers Rights Consortium]] (WRC). On April 4, 2000, students began a sit-in at Johnson Hall, the UO's administrative center. In early April, an open meeting of students further demanded that the organization [[Fair Labor Association]] (FLA) would receive no consideration from the university, as it was perceived as a group founded, funded and backed by Nike and other corporations, and had also been criticized by worker rights advocates as an exercise in dishonest public relations.<ref name="Sac">{{cite web|title=University of Oregon students demonstrate for fair labor practices, 2000-2001|url=http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/university-oregon-students-demonstrate-fair-labor-practices-2000-2001|work=Global Nonviolent Action Database|publisher=Swarthmore College|access-date=May 19, 2014|author=Sachie Hopkins-Hayakawa|date=February 24, 2011|archive-date=May 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519112452/http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/university-oregon-students-demonstrate-fair-labor-practices-2000-2001|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Alan">{{cite news|title=Swoosh Goes Worker Rights|url=http://www2.eugeneweekly.com/2000/11_16_00/coverstory.html|access-date=November 27, 2022|newspaper=Eugene Weekly|date=November 16, 2000|first=Alan|last=Pittman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317163816/http://www2.eugeneweekly.com/2000/11_16_00/coverstory.html|archive-date=March 17, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

University President [[Dave Frohnmayer]] subsequently signed a one-year contract with the WRC; Knight then withdrew a US$30 million commitment toward the Autzen Stadium expansion project and offered no further donations to the university.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyemerald.com/ |title=Old issues, new strategies |access-date=March 24, 2009 |last=Lang |first=Jeremy |date=April 4, 2001 |newspaper=Oregon Daily Emerald |archive-date=March 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326041855/http://www.dailyemerald.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a public statement, Knight criticized the WRC for having unrealistic provisions and called it misguided, while praising the FLA for being "balanced" in its approach.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2000/04/24/News/Statement.From.Nike.Founder.And.Ceo.Philip.H.Knight.Regarding.The.University.Of-1963996.shtml |title= Statement from Nike founder and CEO Philip H. Knight regarding the University of Oregon |access-date= March 24, 2009 |date= April 24, 2000 |newspaper= Oregon Daily Emerald |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090311010128/http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2000/04/24/News/Statement.From.Nike.Founder.And.Ceo.Philip.H.Knight.Regarding.The.University.Of-1963996.shtml |archive-date= March 11, 2009 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> In the face of ongoing conflict with students, Frohnmayer sided with Knight's assertion that the WRC was providing unbalanced representation,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2000/09/25/News/Great.Debate.Wrc.Vs.Fla-1971583.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070611094216/http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2000/09/25/News/Great.Debate.Wrc.Vs.Fla-1971583.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2007 |title=Great debate: WRC vs. FLA |access-date=March 24, 2009 |last=Romano |first=Ben |date=September 25, 2000 |newspaper=Oregon Daily Emerald }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/20/opinion/foreign-affairs-knight-is-right.html |title=Foreign Affairs; Knight Is Right |access-date=March 24, 2009 |last=Friedman |first=Thomas |date=June 20, 2000 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=April 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425152340/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/20/opinion/foreign-affairs-knight-is-right.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and in October 2000 the ''[[Eugene Weekly]]'' reported Frohnmayer stating that:
{{cquote|... he would refuse to pay dues to the WRC based on a legal opinion from UO General Counsel Melinda Grier arguing that to do so would be illegal and open the university to liability. Grier claimed the WRC had not yet incorporated, had not yet filed as a non-profit, and served no public purpose justifying a dues payment.<ref name="Alan" />}}

On February 16, 2001, the [[Oregon University System]] enacted a mandate that all institutions within the system choose business partners from a politically neutral standpoint, barring all universities in Oregon from joining either the WRC or the FLA.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyemerald.com/archives/ous-policy-wont-stop-labor-debate/article_50bd309b-cff8-5b38-804b-ef39d40c119e.html|title=OUS policy won't stop labor debate |access-date=November 27, 2022 |last=Adams |first=Andrew |date=March 5, 2001 |newspaper=Oregon Daily Emerald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010306132722/http://www.dailyemerald.com:80/vnews/display.v/ART/2001/03/05/3aa3ccc8b1ff5|archive-date=March 6, 2001|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the dissolved relationship between the university and the WRC, Knight reinstated the donation and increased the amount to over US$50 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html |title=Nike's Phil Knight resigns as CEO |access-date=March 24, 2009 |last=Peterson |first=Anne |date=November 19, 2004 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |archive-date=July 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705011758/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Also controversial was Knight's success in lobbying for former insurance executive Pat Kilkenny to be named as athletic director at the university.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3326346&categoryid=null| title=OTL: Phil Knight and Oregon| date=April 2, 2008| publisher=[[ESPN]]| work=[[Outside the Lines]]| format=[[Flash Video]]| access-date=November 12, 2009| archive-date=April 9, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409130440/http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3326346&categoryid=null| url-status=dead}}</ref> Kilkenny had neither a college degree nor any prior experience in athletics administration. He attended but did not graduate from UO, as he left the school with several [[credit hours]] still owing. Prior to his appointment at UO, Kilkenny had been the chairman and chief executive officer of the [[San Diego]]–based Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, and grew the business into a nationwide organization, with written premiums of nearly US$1 billion when he sold the company in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | title = Oregon Names Kilkenny Athletic Director | publisher = GoDucks.com | date = February 14, 2007 | url = http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&ATCLID=796552&SPID=252&SPSID=3797 | access-date = June 1, 2008 | archive-date = June 8, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130608162859/http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&ATCLID=796552&SPID=252&SPSID=3797 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Other projects===
[[File:Phil Knight Hangar full side - Hillsboro, Oregon.JPG|thumb|left|Knight's personal [[hangar]] at [[Hillsboro Airport]]]]In October 2008, Knight and his wife pledged US$100 million to the OHSU Cancer Institute, the largest gift in the history of [[Oregon Health & Science University]]. In recognition, the university renamed the organization the "OHSU [[Knight Cancer Institute]]."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_events/news/2008/cancergift102908.cfm | title=Knights to give $100 million to OHSU Cancer Institute | date=October 29, 2008 | publisher=[[Oregon Health & Science University]] | access-date=November 12, 2009 | archive-date=December 23, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223122501/http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_events/news/2008/cancergift102908.cfm | url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2010, Knight donated several million dollars to the [[Catlin Gabel School]] to establish a scholarship for incoming freshmen students.<ref>{{cite news|last1=House|first1=Kelly|title=Nike founder Phil Knight donates millions to Catlin Gabel School in Cedar Mill|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2010/10/nike_founder_donates_millions.html|access-date=January 14, 2017|work=The Oregonian|date=October 28, 2010|archive-date=December 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218191449/http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2010/10/nike_founder_donates_millions.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Knight's Green.jpg|thumb|right|Knight's Green, a lawn named after Knight at [[Marylhurst University]] in [[Marylhurst, Oregon]]]]

On May 18, 2012, Knight contributed US$65,000 to a higher education [[Political Action Committee|Political Action Committee (PAC)]] formed by [[Columbia Sportswear]] CEO Tim Boyle.<ref name="PAC transactions">{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Kate|title=Oregonians For Higher Education Excellence|url=https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/cneSearch.do?cneSearchButtonName=search&cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=15708|publisher=Oregon Secretary of State|access-date=May 23, 2012|archive-date=December 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121210230701/https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/cneSearch.do?cneSearchButtonName=search&cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=15708|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Tim Boyle's PAC">{{cite news|last=Jaquiss|first=Nigel|title=Tim Boyle, Pat Kilkenny Ante Up For Higher Ed PAC|url=http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-28672-tim_boyle_pat_kilkenny_ante_up_for_higher_ed_pac.html|newspaper=Willamette Week|access-date=May 23, 2012|archive-date=May 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524152029/http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-28672-tim_boyle_pat_kilkenny_ante_up_for_higher_ed_pac.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Boyle, the PAC will help facilitate an increase in the autonomy of schools in the [[Oregon University System]].<ref name="New PAC">{{cite news|last=Jaquiss|first=Nigel|title=New Political Action Committee Will Focus on Higher Ed|url=http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-28595-new_political_action_committee_will_focus_on_highe.html|newspaper=Willamette Week|access-date=May 23, 2012|archive-date=August 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810050930/http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-28595-new_political_action_committee_will_focus_on_highe.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 27, 2013, Knight announced to the audience at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute's biennial gala, when he announced his intention to donate US$500 million for research if OHSU could match it over the subsequent two years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Phil and Penny Knight to OHSU: $500 million is yours for cancer research if you can match it|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/09/phil_and_penny_knight_to_ohsu_1.html|newspaper=Oregonian|access-date=October 1, 2013|date=September 21, 2013|archive-date=November 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110000141/https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/09/phil_and_penny_knight_to_ohsu_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  On June 25, 2015, OHSU met that $500 million goal, and Knight announced his upcoming $500 million donation, to bring the total to $1 billion raised.<ref name="ABC Knight challenge">{{cite news|title=Knight Challenge Nets Oregon Health & Science University $1B for Cancer Research|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/knight-challenge-nets-oregon-health-science-university-1b/story?id=32011566|access-date=June 25, 2015|agency=ABC news|date=June 25, 2015|archive-date=December 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228172421/http://abcnews.go.com/US/knight-challenge-nets-oregon-health-science-university-1b/story?id=32011566|url-status=live}}</ref>

Knight and wife Penny also donated to the Marylhurst Knights Opportunity Scholarship Program at [[Marylhurst University]], a private Roman Catholic university in [[Marylhurst, Oregon]]; as a result, the university named a lawn on their campus "Knight's Green" in the family's honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.marylhurst.edu/admissions/campus-tour/|work=Marylhurst.edu|title=Campus Tour|access-date=September 29, 2015|quote=Knight's Green: A sprawling green lawn, named in honor of Nike's Phil and Penny Knight whose generosity made possible the Marylhurst Knights Opportunity Scholarship Program.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043846/http://www.marylhurst.edu/admissions/campus-tour/|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In December 2016, Knight disclosed that he had donated $112 million in Nike stock to charity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2016/12/28/as-philanthropy-ramps-up-phil-knight-gifts-112.html|title=Phil Knight gifts $112 million in Nike (NYSE: NKE) stock|website=Portland Business Journal|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-date=December 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230122849/http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2016/12/28/as-philanthropy-ramps-up-phil-knight-gifts-112.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Accolades==
In 2000, Knight was inducted into the [[Oregon Sports Hall of Fame]] for his Special Contribution to Sports in Oregon.<ref name=oshof>{{cite web|url=http://oregonsportshall.org/?page_id=183|publisher=Oregon Sports Hall of Fame|title=Philip H. Knight - Special Contribution|access-date=June 28, 2011|archive-date=January 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115023456/http://oregonsportshall.org/?page_id=183|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of his induction, he had contributed approximately US$230 million to UO, the majority of which was for athletics.<ref>{{cite news | first = Rachel | last = Bachman | author2 = Hunsberger, Brent | title = Phil Knight's influence transforms University of Oregon athletics | newspaper = The Oregonian | date = May 4, 2008 | url = http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1209711308201850.xml&coll=7&thispage=2 | access-date = June 1, 2008 | archive-date = December 24, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081224083905/http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1209711308201850.xml&coll=7&thispage=2 | url-status = live }}</ref>

On February 24, 2012, Knight was announced as a 2012 inductee of the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]], as a [[List of members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame#Contributors|contributor]]. The Hall recognized him as the driving force behind Nike's huge financial support of U.S. basketball and its players. Knight was formally inducted on September 7, 2012.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.hoophall.com/news/2012/2/24/five-direct-elects-for-the-class-of-2012-announced-by-the-na.html |title=Five Direct-Elects for the Class of 2012 Announced By the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |publisher=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |date=February 24, 2012 |access-date=February 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314083208/http://www.hoophall.com/news/2012/2/24/five-direct-elects-for-the-class-of-2012-announced-by-the-na.html |archive-date=March 14, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

In 1989, Knight received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement|website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#business|access-date=August 23, 2020|archive-date=December 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215023909/https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#business|url-status=live}}</ref> For his "contributions to business, corporate and philanthropic leadership", Knight was elected to the 2015 [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] membership class.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Phil Knight recognized by AAAS for business and philanthropic contributions|url = https://around.uoregon.edu/content/phil-knight-recognized-aaas-business-and-philanthropic-contributions|website = Around the O|access-date = February 13, 2016|date = April 22, 2015|archive-date = April 1, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170401144956/https://around.uoregon.edu/content/phil-knight-recognized-aaas-business-and-philanthropic-contributions|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.amacad.org/multimedia/pdfs/classlist2015.pdf|title = American Academy of Arts and Sciences - Newly Elected Members|date = April 2015|access-date = February 13, 2016|website = American Academy of Arts and Sciences|archive-date = December 15, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161215225910/https://www.amacad.org/multimedia/pdfs/classlist2015.pdf|url-status = live}}</ref>

In 2020, the university polled alumni and fans on social media, asking them which four UO alumni they would place on a notional Mount Rushmore for the university. Knight was one of the four final choices, along with [[Oregon Ducks track and field|Ducks track]] legend [[Steve Prefontaine]]; current NFL player [[Marcus Mariota]], the [[2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2014]] [[Heisman Trophy]] winner; and [[Sabrina Ionescu]], who had just completed an epic college basketball career for the [[Oregon Ducks women's basketball|Ducks]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://around.uoregon.edu/sabrina-ionescu |title=The Gospel of Sab |first=Damian |last=Foley |work=Around the O |publisher=University of Oregon |date=April 17, 2020 |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422035240/https://around.uoregon.edu/sabrina-ionescu |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2024, Knight received the President's award of the [[World Athletics Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/hassan-tebogo-world-athletics-awards-2024  |title=Hassan and Tebogo named World Athletes of the Year |first= |last= |website=World Athletics |publisher= |date=December 1, 2024}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Knight met his wife, Penelope "Penny" Parks, while he was her professor at Portland State University. They were married on September 13, 1968.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100911181025/http://www.womensconference.org/phil-knight/ "Phil Knight: How He Empowers Others", The Woman's Conference.] Accessed: May 13, 2012.</ref> They own a home in [[La Quinta, California]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hauteresidence.com/nikes-phil-knight-lists-california-home-for-2-5-million/ |title=Nike's Phil Knight Lists California Home for $2.5 Million |website=hauteresidence.com |publisher=Haute Media Group |author=Kai Acevedo |date=January 4, 2016 |access-date=May 1, 2018 |archive-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502064821/http://www.hauteresidence.com/nikes-phil-knight-lists-california-home-for-2-5-million/ |url-status=live }}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Meeks|first1=Eric G.|title=The Best Guide Ever to Palm Springs Celebrity Homes|date=2014|orig-year=2012|publisher=Horatio Limburger Oglethorpe|isbn=978-1479328598|page=378}}</ref>

Knight's son, Matthew, died in a [[Phil Knight#Death of Matthew Knight|scuba diving accident]] in El Salvador in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/sports/2015/09/30/phil-knight-recalls-coping-death-son/72885232/|title=Phil Knight recalls coping with death of son|last=Peter|first=Josh|website=Burlington Free Press|language=en|access-date=2020-04-02|archive-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219041902/https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/sports/2015/09/30/phil-knight-recalls-coping-death-son/72885232/|url-status=live}}</ref> Another son of Knight's, [[Travis Knight]], runs the [[Laika, LLC|Laika]] [[List of animation studios|animation studio]]. Phil Knight serves as chairman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/news/breaking-news-henry-selick-leaves-laika|title=Breaking News: Henry Selick Leaves Laika|last=Kapko|first=Matt|website=Animation World Network|language=en|access-date=2020-04-02|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728093014/https://www.awn.com/news/breaking-news-henry-selick-leaves-laika|url-status=live}}</ref>

Knight lists Nike's headquarters in [[Beaverton, Oregon]], as his home address on government records.<ref name=dickinson>{{cite news|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/bernie-sanders-blasts-nike-founder-phil-knight-oregon-1234619900/|title=Bernie Blasts Nike Founder: 'Democracy Is Not Billionaires Buying Elections'|last=Dickinson|first=Tim|newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=October 28, 2022|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214210718/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/bernie-sanders-blasts-nike-founder-phil-knight-oregon-1234619900/|url-status=live}}</ref> He resides in a rural area outside [[Hillsboro, Oregon]] and owns a personal flight hangar along with two private jets at the [[Hillsboro Airport]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2005/09/22/billionaire-05rich400-homes-05rich400-real-estate-cx_sc_0922home.html?sh=37134f3e1d07|title=Homes Of The Billionaires|newspaper=[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]|date=September 22, 2005|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214210717/https://www.forbes.com/2005/09/22/billionaire-05rich400-homes-05rich400-real-estate-cx_sc_0922home.html?sh=37134f3e1d07|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/2014/12/nike_co-founder_phil_knights_n.html|title=Nike co-founder Phil Knight's new flight hangar: Have you seen it in Hillsboro? (photos)|last=Hammill|first=Luke|newspaper=[[The Oregonian]]|date=December 16, 2014|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214210717/https://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/2014/12/nike_co-founder_phil_knights_n.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Ben Affleck]] and [[Matt Damon]] produced a film called ''[[Air (2023 American film)|Air]]'' about Nike's signing of [[Michael Jordan]] and ultimately the [[Air Jordan]] brand.<ref>{{cite web | last=Rindner | first=Grant | title=Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's New Movie 'Air' Chronicles the Scrappy Rise of Nike | website=GQ | date=2023-02-09 | url=https://www.gq.com/story/air-movie-trailer-ben-affleck-matt-damon-nike-air-jordan | access-date=2025-06-15}}</ref> Affleck plays Knight in the film.

==Politics==
Knight is a registered [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and a frequent contributor to Republican political candidates in Oregon. In [[2010 Oregon gubernatorial election|2010]], he donated $400,000 to [[Chris Dudley]], the then Republican nominee for [[Governor of Oregon]].

Knight occasionally supports Democrats, however; in [[1986 Oregon gubernatorial election|1986]] he financed [[Neil Goldschmidt]]'s successful campaign, and in [[2014 Oregon gubernatorial election|2014]], he donated $250,000 to the re-election campaign of Democrat [[John Kitzhaber]].<ref name=jaquiss>{{cite news|url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/09/19/why-is-nike-co-founder-phil-knight-backing-both-colin-kaepernick-and-republican-nominee-for-governor-knute-buehler/|title=Why is Nike Co- Founder Phil Knight Backing Both Colin Kaepernick and Republican Nominee For Governor Knute Buehler?|last=Jaquiss|first=Nigel|date=September 19, 2018|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214211543/https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/09/19/why-is-nike-co-founder-phil-knight-backing-both-colin-kaepernick-and-republican-nominee-for-governor-knute-buehler/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=vanderhart>{{cite web|url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/04/nike-founder-phil-knight-oregon-governor-candidate-betsy-johnson/|title=Nike co-founder Phil Knight gives $1 million to Betsy Johnson's campaign for Oregon governor|author=VanderHart, Dirk|publisher=[[Oregon Public Broadcasting]]|date=April 4, 2022|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=May 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527071552/https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/04/nike-founder-phil-knight-oregon-governor-candidate-betsy-johnson/|url-status=live}}</ref>

He donated $3.5 million to Republican [[Knute Buehler]] during the [[2018 Oregon gubernatorial election]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Daniels |first1=Jeff |title=Oregon's Democratic Gov. Kate Brown wins re-election against GOP challenger Knute Buehler: NBC News |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/06/oregons-democratic-gov-kate-brown-wins-re-election.html |website=CNBC |access-date=14 November 2018 |date=6-7 Nov 2018 |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327024151/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/06/oregons-democratic-gov-kate-brown-wins-re-election.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Regarding this donation, Knight criticized the unfunded [[Oregon Public Employees Retirement System]] and the general fiscal state of Oregon, implying Democratic governor [[Kate Brown]] was at fault.<ref name=jaquiss/>

Knight was once again a major donor during the [[2022 Oregon gubernatorial election]]. He gave $3.75 million to independent candidate [[Betsy Johnson]] until September 2022.<ref name=vanderhart/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/10/04/phil-knight-wrote-betsy-johnson-a-2-million-check-sept-1/|title=Phil Knight Wrote Betsy Johnson a $2 Million Check Sept. 1|last=Jaquiss|first=Nigel|newspaper=[[Willamette Week]]|date=October 4, 2022|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214212223/https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/10/04/phil-knight-wrote-betsy-johnson-a-2-million-check-sept-1/|url-status=live}}</ref> After Johnson's support declined in the polls, he switched to backing Republican [[Christine Drazan]], writing her a $1 million check on October 6 of that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/06/oregon-governor-race-christine-drazan-phil-knight-nike/|title=Nike co-founder Phil Knight is now backing Republican Christine Drazan in Oregon's tight governor race|author=VanderHart, Dirk|publisher=[[Oregon Public Broadcasting]]|date=October 6, 2022|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214210717/https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/06/oregon-governor-race-christine-drazan-phil-knight-nike/|url-status=live}}</ref> He made a second donation to the Drazan campaign later in October.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.koin.com/news/elections/phil-knight-makes-another-donation-to-republican-christine-drazans-campaign/|title=Phil Knight makes another donation to Republican Christine Drazan's campaign|author=Arden, Amanda|publisher=[[KOIN]]|date=October 26, 2022|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214210718/https://www.koin.com/news/elections/phil-knight-makes-another-donation-to-republican-christine-drazans-campaign/|url-status=live}}</ref> Also in 2022, Knight donated $2 million to a [[political action committee]] seeking to elect Republican state legislators in Oregon.<ref name=dickinson/> In April 2023, Knight contributed $2 million more to the same conservative PAC.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oregonian/OregonLive |first=Jamie Goldberg {{!}} The |date=2023-05-04 |title=Nike co-founder Phil Knight contributes $2 million more to help elect Republicans to Oregon Legislature |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2023/05/nike-co-founder-phil-knight-contributes-2-million-to-help-elect-republicans-to-oregon-legislature.html |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=oregonlive |language=en |archive-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505053841/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2023/05/nike-co-founder-phil-knight-contributes-2-million-to-help-elect-republicans-to-oregon-legislature.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

While Knight is generally reluctant to give interviews, he spoke with the ''[[New York Times]]'' in October 2022 regarding his support for Republican candidates. He argued Oregon's government had drifted too far to the left and described himself as "more conservative than Nike," responding to criticism of him backing an anti-abortion candidate which apparently contrasted with the company's image of supporting progressive social justice causes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/15/us/politics/kotek-drazan-oregon-governor.html|title=How a Republican Could Lead Oregon: Liberal Disharmony and Nike Cash|last1=Baker|first1=Mike|last2=Epstein|first2=Reid|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 15, 2022|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214210717/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/15/us/politics/kotek-drazan-oregon-governor.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Nike itself donated $75,000 to Drazan and Johnson's Democratic opponent, [[Tina Kotek]], the eventual winner of the election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/11/10/phil-knight-reflects-on-political-contributions-in-cnbc-interview-as-kotek-declares-victory/|title=Phil Knight Reflects on Political Contributions in CNBC Interview as Kotek Declares Victory|last=Jaquiss|first=Nigel|newspaper=[[Willamette Week]]|date=November 10, 2022|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214212221/https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/11/10/phil-knight-reflects-on-political-contributions-in-cnbc-interview-as-kotek-declares-victory/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Philip H. Knight Chairs and Professorships]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Deford, Frank. 1993. Nike has sponsored Hamza "The Truth" Day, all league linebacker from Wilson High School. pp.&nbsp;52–72
* Knight, Phil. 2009. "When Things Don't Go Right: What Nike Learned In China," ''Playboy'', February 2009, 56(2), pp.&nbsp;26, 111
* Strasser, J.B., and Laurie Becklund. 1993. ''Swoosh: The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There''. HarperBusiness. {{ISBN|0-88730-622-5}}
* Teitel, Emma. 2012. "Nike's Strange Moral Universe" Maclean's, February 13, 2012

==External links==
* [http://nikeinc.com Nike, Inc. official website]
* [https://www.forbes.com/profile/phil-knight ''Forbes'' Phil Knight profile page]

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[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:American chief executives in the manufacturing industry]]
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[[Category:Nike, Inc. people]]
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[[Category:Philanthropists from Oregon]]
[[Category:American memoirists]]
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