Kevin Plank
He turned a simple idea—a sweat-wicking t-shirt—into a global athletic apparel empire that challenged industry giants.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American entrepreneur and philanthropist·Birthday: August 13·Generation X
Biography
Kevin Plank's entrepreneurial story is a classic American hustle, born from a football player's frustration. As a special teams captain for the University of Maryland, he grew tired of cotton t-shirts becoming heavy with sweat during practice. Seeing an opportunity, he sourced a synthetic fabric and began sewing prototype shirts in his grandmother's Washington, D.C. row house. In 1996, he founded Under Armour, relentlessly selling his performance gear to college and professional teams. Plank's genius lay in marketing athletic wear as essential equipment, not just clothing, using stark, gritty advertising that resonated deeply with competitive athletes. He built the company into a Baltimore-based powerhouse, navigating fierce competition and evolving it from compression shirts into a full-line sportswear brand, forever changing how athletes dress.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kevin was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kevin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Kevin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded Under Armour in 1996 and grew it from a basement operation into a multi-billion dollar publicly traded company.
- Served as CEO for 24 of the company's first 28 years, guiding its global expansion and product diversification.
- Pioneered the market for performance-focused synthetic athletic apparel, creating a new category in sportswear.
- Led the acquisition of fitness technology platforms like MapMyFitness and MyFitnessPal to build a digital health ecosystem.
Did You Know?
The name 'Under Armour' was inspired by a line in the movie "The Last Emperor."
He used his last $40,000 in credit card debt to fund Under Armour's first major order of shirts.
Plank purchased the historic Sagamore Farm in Maryland and revitalized it as a premier thoroughbred horse racing operation.
He is a significant real estate developer in Baltimore, leading the transformation of the Port Covington waterfront area.
““It’s a mindset. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.””
