Kevin O'Leary Turns a $12.93 Million Jordan-Bryant Card Into Wearable Jewelry

Kevin O'Leary, the businessman and Shark Tank star, drew attention at an awards ceremony by wearing one of the rarest sports collectibles in the world around his neck. The item is a Dual Logoman Autographs card from Upper Deck Exquisite featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, with authentic pieces of the NBA logos from their game jerseys and both players' original signatures.

The card became one of a kind after Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash, making it impossible to recreate. O'Leary was part of an investor group that bought it at a Heritage Auctions sale for $12.93 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for a sports card. Collectors now estimate its value has risen to about $20 million.

O'Leary did not leave it as a card. He had Tiffany & Co. turn it into a wearable piece, mounting it in a frame made with about one kilogram of white gold, nearly 100 carats of diamonds, and red rubies chosen to match Jordan’s jersey colors. He said he views rare cards as investments, and has argued that collecting teaches entrepreneurship and investing, with rare collectibles likely to become major assets like high-end art.

On the red carpet in Los Angeles, O'Leary said he wore it to "bring Kobe back to the city for one night." The necklace and the historic card made him one of the most talked-about people at the event.