11x NBA All-Star Stephen Curry dominates the basketball court with precision three-pointers and championship rings, but his foray into the business world hasn’t enjoyed the same success trajectory.
While amassing a staggering $240 million net worth primarily through his professional ball career, Curry and his wife Ayesha have encountered significant headwinds in their entrepreneurial ventures that threaten to tarnish their golden reputation in the Bay Area.
The four-time NBA champion, widely regarded as the greatest shooter in basketball history, recently signed a historic one-year, $62.6 million contract with the Golden State Warriors in August 2024, making him the first NBA player to earn $60 million in a single season.
His earning power extends well beyond the hardwood, with an additional $30 million to $40 million annually flowing from endorsement deals with brands like Under Armour and investments in tech products like TCL’s “Palm” phones.
Here’s What Happened
But it has not always been “all net” for Curry and recently it seems his business life is not looking too great.
After purchasing the San Francisco property for $8.5 million and securing demolition permits last August, plans for the 25,000-square-foot building featuring office, lab, and arts spaces have been scrapped.
“Our dream of building a new Thirty Ink HQ at 600 20th Street has been destroyed by the Nor Cal Carpenters Union,” a spokesperson for Curry’s company recently stated, according to the San Francisco Standard.
In a recent press release, Curry’s team said it had agreed to use a partially unionized workforce on an upcoming San Francisco project. But that wasn’t enough for Jacob Adiarte, director of organizing for the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, who reportedly rejected the offer outright.
“Unfortunately, our generous and completely unnecessary approach has been deemed unacceptable,” a spokesperson for Curry’s company said. “Adiarte has personally gone out of his way to make it untenable for us to build in San Francisco.”
The tension underscores a common challenge in real estate development: balancing labor expectations with project flexibility. While privately funded developments aren’t required to use union labor unless public subsidies are involved, many developers still do just to keep the peace and avoid delays.
This setback in San Francisco represents just one in a series of business challenges facing the Curry family.
The project collapse stemmed from a dispute over labor practices, with union representatives arguing that Curry’s chosen contractor had a reputation for undercutting union labor.
Meanwhile, Ayesha Curry has faced her own business difficulties. In January, she permanently closed her Sweet July café and store in Oakland, citing safety concerns as the primary reason.
The flagship store, which Ayesha once described as her “love letter” to Oakland, the San Francisco Gate reports, officially shut its doors on February 9 after experiencing at least one break-in incident in 2022.
The closure came shortly after her Las Vegas restaurant, International Smoke, also ceased operations, the same publication shared in January 2025.
These business reversals contrast sharply with the Currys’ basketball lineage. Stephen’s father, Dell Curry, established the family’s NBA credentials as the Charlotte Hornets’ all-time leading scorer.
The athletic genes continued with Stephen’s younger brother Seth carving out his own NBA career, while sister Sydel Curry-Lee played collegiate volleyball at Elon University before becoming a health care advocate and podcaster. Even Stephen’s mother, Sonya Curry, has extended the family brand by hosting a popular podcast with Shaquille O’Neal’s mother.
The Curry business empire faces mounting challenges despite their athletic prowess and Stephen’s financial success.
Throughout his first 15 seasons, Curry accumulated over $305 million in salary alone, with an additional $150 million from endorsements. In a typical year, his earnings approach $90 million from combined sources, making him one of the highest-paid celebrities globally.
The collapse of the planned Thirty Ink headquarters has particularly stung the Warriors star. This failed business venture, combined with Ayesha’s retail retreat, threatens to strain the Currys’ historically positive relationship with their Bay Area community.
For the Currys, translating basketball excellence into business success has proved more challenging than sinking a three-pointer against Jaden McDaniels.
Despite their athletic dynasty status spanning generations, their commercial ventures face obstacles that neither championship rings nor Olympic gold medals can easily overcome.
As they navigate these business setbacks, the question remains whether their entrepreneurial skills will eventually match their formidable athletic talents, or if their business playbook requires a strategic timeout for reassessment.
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