David Beckham has become a billionaire, according to Forbes US. The former captain of the England national soccer team amassed a $1 billion fortune not on the field, but after retiring from the sport. He has become only the seventh athlete in history to reach this milestone.
The largest portion of Beckham’s fortune is a 26% stake in Inter Miami, valued at over $300 million. The club is valued at a record $1.4 billion for MLS — nearly twice the league average.
In 2007, Beckham signed a contract with LA Galaxy that included the right to purchase an MLS franchise — allowing the creation of a club in the league — for $25 million upon the conclusion of his career. In 2016, the league offered him $50 million to waive that right. But Beckham rejected the offer and founded Inter Miami, which has been playing in MLS since 2020.
After signing one of the world’s best soccer players, Lionel Messi, in 2023, Inter Miami’s annual revenue increased from $70 million to over $250 million, driven by ticket sales, new sponsors, and global tours.
In 2022, Beckham sold 55% of his brand business to Authentic Brands Group for $250 million, but retained 45% and creative control. The business now generates $100 million in revenue per year.
Last year, Beckham also earned $100 million from advertising contracts with Adidas, Nespresso, Lay’s, Stella Artois, and McDonald’s. In 2023, Netflix released a documentary about Beckham, which has over 30 million views and won an Emmy Award, earning Beckham $21 million.
There are only seven billionaire athletes in the world: basketball player Michael Jordan, basketball player Magic Johnson, golfer Tiger Woods, basketball player LeBron James, tennis player Roger Federer, Romanian tennis player Ion Țiriac, and now David Beckham.