We often think of sports stars as being rich and famous. And, for many of them, regardless of the sport they’re involved in, it’s true. However, some have reached the pinnacle of their chosen sport, and in turn, they’ve become billionaires.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristian Ronaldo, for many, is the G.O.A.T. He’s been there and done it in the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A and has won honors internationally too.
But, as well as being one of the best footballers ever to live, he’s developed himself into a brand and marketed himself significantly, allowing him to rake in dollars away from the pitch.
Some popular sporting icons have already put their name behind a number of innovative and branded slots games, and Ronaldo has worked with operators in this sector, as well as others, including Armani, Nike, and Tag Heuer.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is a sporting icon and a basketball court legend. And he’s fondly remembered for his achievements with teams such as the Chicago Bulls.
But, it’s perhaps what he’s done away from the court that is most impressive, with Jordan very much paving the way for sports stars to become businessmen and entrepreneurs.
Jordan has gone about it by making well-placed and well-timed investments, with many of them going on to earn him significant profit.
He, of course, is the man behind the Nike Jordan brand, which rakes him in a personal fortune of over $100 million per year.
At present, he’s the only sports star to have breached the $2 billion earnings mark.
Tiger Woods
As you can see from this list so far, the top earners in terms of the billionaire’s club are the ones who have reached greatness in their chosen sport.
And Tiger Woods has certainly done so in golf and is a legend of sport as a result. But, akin to Jordan, Woods has made some well-placed investments and partnered up with some leading brands to ensure that he’s earning the dollars away from the golf course, which has come in handy after long periods out injured.
Woods works with the likes of Nike and E.A. Sports, with the latter
producing Tiger Woods Golf, which has always been the most popular golf-themed video game on the market.
It’s another guaranteed revenue source for one of the greatest golfers of all time.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will go down as one of boxing’s greatest and certainly one of the best of recent times. He retired with a professional record of 50 fights and 50 wins , which will never change.
As everyone knows, Mayweather’s nickname is “Money”, and he’s made significant amounts of cash via sponsorships and investments since quitting professional boxing.
He’s always been about the money and earned well over a billion in total, which he continues to add to with exhibition bouts, which net him more millions per year for around
