Nike paid Carolyn Davidson $35 for the original Swoosh design in 1971.
Davidson was a graphic-design student at Portland State University when Phil Knight, then involved with Blue Ribbon Sports, asked her to create a logo for the company’s expanding footwear business. She produced the curved mark that became the Swoosh, reportedly working for an hourly rate of $2.
The company initially used the Swoosh alongside the name Nike, and the symbol became one of the most recognizable marks in sportswear. In 1983, Nike gave Davidson a gold-and-diamond Swoosh ring and company stock in recognition of her contribution.
Blue Ribbon Sports officially changed its corporate name to Nike, Inc. in 1971. That makes the answer Nike rather than Blue Ribbon Sports, even though the earlier company name is part of the logo’s origin story.