Scottie Pippen Blew $4.3 Mil On A Jet That Couldn’t Fly

Just over a month ago, Scottie Pippen’s underpaid history went viral following the release of The Last Dance.

Let’s take a step back and examine the history. Scottie Pippen signed a 7-year $18 million contract with the Bulls in 1991. This contract ranked 122 in the league. The consensus was that Scottie Pippen was a top 10 player in the NBA during this time.

Nevertheless, Scottie ended up settling for the short end of the stick with the Bulls. However, Scottie Pippen finally got the payday he yearned for and deserved with Portland later in his career. He was making $15 Mil a year. A come up if you will.

Scottie Pippen finally had an opportunity to truly enjoy the fruits of his labor. So, he decided in 2002 that he would do so by purchasing a Gulfstream jet for $4.3 million. Buying a jet is a typical filthy rich thing to do, right?

Most would tend to think so. Also, most would probably assume the buyer should test the jet to see if it worked before cutting the big check or handing over the duffle bags. However, Scottie didn’t turn on the engines before making the big purchase and learned the hard way. The jet not only couldn’t fly but needed $1 million in repairs to function properly. That was more than 20% of the cost of the jet itself.

Fortunately for Pippen, he got the retribution he needed. Scottie Pippen went on to sue the Law firm he had trusted to monitor the purchase of the plane. The judgment ruled in Pippen’s favor and he was awarded $2 million.

But, the planes and lawsuits didn’t stop there. Only a year later Pippen won $2.3 million in a judgment against a Miami businessman named Craig Frost. Craig owned CF Air which had a fiasco with Air Pip, Pippen’s company.

After initially investing in a plane that didn’t work for $4.3 M, Scottie earned back $4.3 M after two lawsuit victories. What started out as a sad story ended with another come up.