In 2003, Real Madrid paid £25 million to Manchester United for David Beckham – not the best footballer in the world at the time (or any other time) but the sport’s top globally marketable star. In 2023, Beckham’s yearly revenue remained much more than the amount Madrid had paid to Manchester two decades previously. The former England midfielder is a global sports icon who has made most of his money outside of his player’s contracts. Beckham the businessman In 2022, Beckham sold 55% stake in his businesses to a company called Authentic Brands for £200 million. Filings at the end of 2024 showed Beckham’s businesses paid out £124 million in dividends, of which he pocketed £28 million. Beckham, who has forayed into various businesses including the ownership of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, has a net worth, along with his wife Victoria, of £455 million, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List. Like him, the financial wealth of many of the richest athletes in history can be traced to their lives outside sport. Contracts with a range of firms The range of contracts across business verticals that Beckham signed – both in his playing years and after retirement – show the interest of brands in wanting to associate with him. According to Times Sports, Beckham signed a lifetime deal with Adidas in 2003 for £115 million. The clothing brand H&M began a collaboration with Beckham as the footballer and his team were contemplating starting their own line to capitalise on the success of his 2008 campaign for Emporio Armani underwear. Beckham also had a deal with Alibaba and a contract with Gillette. Other sports, other stars Former golfer Arnold Palmer passed away in 2016, but was making $40 million annually even a year after his death. In prize money on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, however, Palmer, who turned pro in 1954 and retired in 2006, made only $3.6 million. In 2023, Sportico calculated Palmer’s career earnings at $885 million ($1.7 billion after adjusting for inflation) – only Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Cristiano Ronaldo had bigger career earnings than Palmer. The athlete who profited more than perhaps any other from a deal outside of their sporting contract is basketball legend Michael Jordan. In his 15 years as a basketball player, Jordan picked up contracts worth $94 million. In 2023, his dividend deal with Nike, followed by the sale of his majority stake in the NBA team Charlotte Hornets, put him in the top 400 wealthiest individuals in the US. Jordan has a lifetime contract with Nike, and in 2023, the sportswear brand paid him about $500 million for the sale of sneakers, according to Fox Sports. The success of the Jordan line means that number is likely to only rise in coming years. Jordan had bought the Hornets in 2010 for $275 million. In 2023, the club was valued at $3 billion, and the sale meant that his worth rose to $4.7 billion. Working to build Brand Beckham For Beckham, similar benefits came with Inter Miami. The club’s association with Lionel Messi continues to raise its value. The impact of the sale of an MLS club to Beckham when he moved from Madrid to LA Galaxy is beginning to play out now. Simon Fuller, Beckham’s manager from 2003 to 2019, told Times Sport that his rise as a businessman outside sport was the result of calculated moves. “It was my singular focus to build a brand for David that transcended where he came from and spoke to people all over the world,” Fuller said. “To go global, you have to touch pop culture and define the times you live in. It’s not random or a mistake, it’s precision, focus and planning ahead,” he said. “What we did was very different,” Fuller said. “We were extremely protective of David’s image so everything had to be at the highest level. Brands weren’t used to that but they wanted David, so we always got what we needed.” With wealth, some controversy Along with vast wealth, some deals have brought Beckham some controversies as well. His support for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar led many to question his stand on the LGBTQ community. Beckham defended his decision to be an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup: “I had a lot of conversations with the LGBTQ community when I was there. They said they had enjoyed the games and they felt it was the safest World Cup they'd had for a long time, it was an important competition and one I was proud to be a part of.”
