Now: One reason pro athletes often have "a very difficult transition" from sports to their next career is that they no longer know right away whether they've won -- "a feeling you just can't reproduce," says Bridgeman, who managed to find similar satisfaction, and a fortune, in the restaurant business. "If the customers don't like what you're giving them, you're going to know about it immediately," he says.
Bridgeman built a company, Manna, that now owns 161 Wendy's and 121 Chili's restaurants, with over $500 million in sales.
Would he ever want to own a basketball team? Maybe as a part owner, but he doesn't want the day-to-day worries. "I talked to Michael Jordan last week, and he's consumed with the Charlotte team," says Bridgeman. "To me, it would be about getting a better seat at the game."
By Ellen Florian
NEXT: Hugh McColl
