In 1971, a college student named Carolyn Davidson designed the Nike Swoosh for $35. She charged $2 an hour and spent about 17 hours on it. Phil Knight didn’t even love it at first. A decade later, after Nike went public, she was gifted 500 shares. Seven stock splits later, that would be about 64,000 shares today, worth over $4M at current prices and more than $10M at Nike’s 2021 peak. What started as a side gig to pay for a painting class became one of the most valuable creative contributions in

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In 1971, design student Carolyn Davidson created the now-iconic Nike “Swoosh” logo for just $35. Hired by Phil Knight while at Portland State University, Davidson’s design symbolized motion and referenced Nike—the Greek goddess of victory. Though unsure of it at first, the logo became a global symbol of athletic excellence. Years later, Nike thanked her with company stock, which grew to be worth a fortune, cementing her place in branding history. | History In Pictures