'Close to $3,000,000,000 I think?': Rich Paul undersells gaudy Klutch Sports deals through years by over $1 billion after becoming LeBron James' agent

Rich Paul has become a super agent and one of the most successful agents in the business over the past 11 years. His company, Klutch Sports, has some of the best sports players as clients, including LeBron James, Draymond Green and Anthony Davis.

Since 2012, Paul has signed his clients to very lucrative deals and his company is one of the richest in the sports business world. In an interview with "60 Minutes," Paul revealed the total value of the deals that he has completed since becoming LeBron James' agent more than a decade ago.

"I would say it's close to $3,000,000,000, I think? It's more than $4,000,000,000, but it's hard to keep track when you're always on the go," he told Bill Whitaker, via CBS News.

It wasn't easy for Rich Paul to become a super agent, with some people even saying that if it wasn't for LeBron James, he wouldn't be so successful. However, both James and fellow NBA star Draymond Green strongly disagree with that opinion.

"Most agents treat athletes as if the athlete works for them," Green said in the intervierw. "But there's a multi-billion-dollar business going on around most athletes that they don't understand. But they don't have a Rich Paul to teach them. And that's what's special about him."

"I mean, it's disappointing to hear that," James said. "Yeah. And I don't give people opportunities much. And he took well way beyond – than what he even imagined."

How Rich Paul has helped LeBron James create his fortune

Over the years, LeBron James has become the richest player in the NBA, with his earnings being more than $430 million during his 20-year career.

The majority of those earnings have come through the deals he signed after Rich Paul became his official agent in 2012. Following the deals with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 ($107.6 million over four years) and the LA Lakers ($197.7 million since 2018), the "King" earned a total of $305.2 million.

The four-time champion and all-time NBA scoring leader is now under a two-year deal with the Lakers, worth a total of $99 million, with the 2024-25 season being a player option worth $51.4 million. That means he will have earned more than $404 million in total if he stays with the 17-time NBA champions through 2025.

"Not only was I underestimated, I was also not wanted. I didn't look like the success in our industry, especially from a place of decision making. And I wanted to disrupt the industry. I wanted to be impactful, but I wanted to come from a place of purpose," Rich Paul told Whitaker, via CBS News.

"Being in those rooms, it's much better to– to listen than to talk. If you listen, you might actually learn something. And you start to kinda, you know, work your way on your own," Paul added.

Given that his client base continues to expand, we should expect Rich Paul to maintain his status as a super agent moving forward, no matter if he works with LeBron James or not.