Global LA has named Earvin “Magic” Johnson as its celebrity ambassador to help bring foreign investment into the city in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympic games.

Debbie Adler, the chief executive of Global LA, said that the contract between the city and LA28, the nonprofit organizing the games, called for a commitment to work with the city’s nonprofit partner on the economic legacy.

“We were created to implement that commitment in the contract,” Adler said.
As an ambassador for the nonprofit, Johnson will serve as a “symbolic reflection” of the scale and opportunities that are here for foreign business leaders, she added.

Johnson will participate in events with Global LA and welcome trade missions and chief executives to the area, Adler said.
He may also bring Global LA to Paris in 2024 for the summer Olympic games in that city, she said.

“And it could look like being a partner for international companies that want to engage with the communities that Magic Johnson Enterprises also supports and facilitating job creation in the neighborhoods and in partnership with the businesses that he has invested in,” Adler added.

Johnson, one of the city’s most noted entrepreneurs and investors, said he was looking forward to working with Global LA, the Mayor’s office and the business community to bring international companies to Los Angeles bring jobs and economic growth to underserved neighborhoods.

“This has been the foundation of my company Magic Johnson Enterprises and I look forward to seeing the difference we can make in this incredible city,” Johnson said in a statement.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the nonprofit couldn’t ask for a better ambassador.
“Los Angeles is a global crossroads — there is simply no better place to start or expand a business than here,” Garcetti said in a statement. “By making it easier for companies, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs to invest in our city, Global LA will attract international opportunities that benefit Angelenos across our city with good-paying jobs and a more resilient, inclusive local economy.”

Global LA has raised financial commitments of $1.5 million so far.
Of that, $1 million came from the city, with the balance coming from the private sector, Adler said.

“We are looking to double that fundraising in the next year and to grow from there,” she added.

Adler said she was looking forward to having conversations with the new mayor – whoever that is – about the benefits to the city that Global LA is creating.