Knight, Phil (1938-…), is an American business executive. He co-founded the athletic clothing and shoe company Nike and worked as its CEO for more than thirty years. 
Philip Hampson Knight was born on Feb. 24, 1938, in Portland, Oregon. He went to Cleveland High School in Portland. From 1955 to 1959, Knight attended the University of Oregon, where he ran track and field and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Knight then enrolled at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, earning a master’s degree in 1962.
After he graduated from Stanford, Knight launched the shoe company Blue Ribbon Sports, selling imported Japanese running shoes out of the trunk of his car. Early on, William Bowerman, Knight’s former coach, joined him in the business. Blue Ribbon Sports expanded steadily over the next several years.
In 1971, Knight and Bowerman changed the company’s name from Blue Ribbon Sports to Nike and adopted its Swoosh logo. Nike began signing professional athletes to endorsement contracts, such as the runner Steve Prefontaine and, later, the basketball player Michael Jordan. Meanwhile, Nike expanded beyond running shoes to sell other clothing. Nike eventually grew into a multibillion-dollar business.
In 2004, Knight stepped down as the CEO of Nike. He remained the company’s chairman until stepping down from that position in 2016. Knight has made large donations to the universities he attended to construct campuses and stadiums.
