Nike co-founder Phil Knight has made headlines recently after announcing in June that he’d be stepping down as chairman of the board, including his recommendation for his successor, and speaking publicly about Nike’s decades of success. Today, the Scribner Publishing imprint of Simon & Schuster announced Knight’s memoir would be released in the spring.
“Phil Knight is a titan of industry for our time, the man behind one of the most successful global companies ever, whose pioneering products for decades have inspired and enabled world class and amateur athletes alike to reach peak performance, and that unite form, function, and fashion in a way that many have copied, but no others have achieved,” said Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO Simon & Schuster, Inc., in a statement. “There is much that we can learn from Phil Knight and his story, and we are honored and fortunate to help him share it with the world.”
The currently untitled book will be Knight’s first memoir and will focus on the founding years of Nike, according to Scribner. The book, according to the publisher, is about sports, business, and friendship, providing valuable lessons on how to survive and excel in the business world, including developing a startup and overcoming adversity.
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“This is a classic American story about an innovator with astonishing vision, unflinching resolve, and unbelievable luck,” said Shannon Welch, senior editor at Scribner, in a statement. “Phil Knight is an open, vivid, and searching storyteller with an unexpected and riveting story to tell. His memoir is rich with insight, humor, and hard-won wisdom.”
In addition to a print version of the memoir, an audio version will be released.
Back in June, Knight announced his recommendation for Mark Parker, president and CEO of Nike, to succeed him as chairman of Nike’s board. On Sept. 30, Knight granted USA Today an exclusive interview where he reminisced on the criticism Nike received in its early days (which proved to be wrong) and looked to the future by naming brands that will be Nike’s biggest competitors in all areas of athletics.
