Who Are The 7 Living Sports Billionaires?
Beckham now joins Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Roger Federer and retired Romanian tennis player and coach Ion Tiriac in the billionaire club.
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Big Number
$1.35 billion. That’s how much Beckham’s Inter Miami is worth before debt, according to Forbes estimates, a league record that puts Beckham’s 26% stake north of $300 million.
Tangent
As the U.S. cohosts the World Cup for the first time since 1994, Miami is set to host seven matches at the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium. Beckham noted the tournament is a massive opportunity to bring younger audiences to football. He also serves as the face of MLS’s promotional campaign and has deals with brands including Adidas, Lay’s and Verizon.
When Does The 2026 World Cup Start?
The tournament officially kicks off on June 11, with South Africa taking on Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the first stadium to host three FIFA World Cup opening matches.
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Surprising Fact
Beckham is notorious for being early which “annoys” his wife Victoria, Beckham told Forbes. “We went to a party recently and we actually were turning up while the servers were still setting the tables,” he said.
Key Background
Beckham joined the billionaire club in May, becoming one of just seven living professional athletes to reach a $1 billion net worth. By the time he retired from professional soccer in 2013, he had earned more than half a billion dollars on and off the field. When he shocked the soccer world and left Real Madrid for the LA Galaxy in 2007, he secured a five-year contract worth $6.5 million per year, plus a cut of the team’s sponsorship and merchandise revenue and, most importantly, an option to buy an MLS expansion team for $25 million after he retired. He exercised that option in 2014 and chose Miami, though building the team took more than a decade and three failed stadium plans. Miami played six seasons in a temporary stadium in Fort Lauderdale before Beckham and co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas landed on Miami Freedom Park, a $1 billion project that includes the new 27,000-seat Nu Stadium, hotel rooms and office spaces. Outside of soccer, Beckham also launched multiple products, including his anti-aging and holistic health supplement brand IM8 and Beeup, his line of children’s fruit snacks made from honey.
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