Standard Cognition

Standard Cognition

Standard Cognition was established in 2024 by Michael Jordan, a former professional basketball player whose career earnings and endorsement income — including a lifetime partnership with Nike's Jordan Brand — generated the underlying wealth. Jordan serves as Chairman, while Chief Investment Officer Jordan Schlipf and Managing Director Christopher D. L. Johnson lead day-to-day investment operations. The firm pursues a multi-asset strategy encompassing private credit, real estate, infrastructure, hedge funds, private equity, and secondaries. Standard Cognition targets direct co-investments alongside established GPs and maintains a separate account structure for external manager allocations. Geographic focus spans North America and Western Europe, with occasional commitments in Asia-Pacific. Deployment figures are not publicly disclosed. The team operates from San Francisco, with an additional presence in Chicago. A philanthropic arm, the Jordan Family Foundation, operates separately from the family office. As of early 2025, no public capital raises or closed vehicles have been announced; the firm funds deployments solely from Jordan's net worth. The key structural differentiator is the hybrid sourcing model: Standard Cognition combines proprietary deal flow from Jordan's personal network, professional advisor relationships, and a small in-house deal team that screens traditional PE/credit opportunities. The firm avoids venture capital and early-stage technology equity, sectors where Jordan has expressed limited interest.