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Nike Against the US Government
Methods of Prosperity newsletter no. 71. Phil Knight (conclusion).

TL;DR

The judge sided with Phil and Blue Ribbon in their case against Onitsuka. Phil hired their lawyer full-time. Blue Ribbon still faced financial challenges. 

Blue Ribbon survived auditing issues from Nissho and creditor payments. Nissho forgave Phil’s decision to make them pay for a secret factory. 

The Bank of California accused Blue Ribbon of fraud. Nissho’s intervention prevented an FBI investigation. 

To address cash flow problems, Phil considered taking the company public. He hesitated due to potential loss of control. 

Blue Ribbon Sports rebranded to Nike Inc. Supply couldn’t meet demand. Nike expanded manufacturing to Taiwan, despite being cash poor. Nike dealt with Korean knock-offs by absorbing the Korean factory that counterfeited them. 

Competitors including Converse colluded to influence U.S. Customs. They forced a $25 million retroactive import tax on Nike. Nike fought back with ...