Jordan, Beckham are richest retirees in sport

Charlotte Bobcats team owner Michael Jordan. Image by: CHRIS KEANE

NBA legend Michael Jordan and English football superstar David Beckham are the world’s richest retired sports stars, according to a Forbes magazine study.
Jordan, a six-time NBA champion in the 1990s with the Chicago Bulls who now owns the league’s Charlotte Hornets, made $110 million (96.5 million euros) last year to top the magazine’s list. He retired in 2003.

With his Nike brand still a top money-spinner and endorsement deals, Jordan, 53, is worth $1.1 billion and will make at least $30 million more than any other athlete in the world this year, active or retired, the magazine estimated.

Beckham, leading an investment group in the early stages of launching a Major League Soccer expansion team in Miami, ranked second at $65 million. Major endorsement deals in Britain and China helped boost the 40-year-old’s position.

Golf legend Arnold Palmer, 86, ranked third at $40 million. His Bay Hill resort hosts a PGA Tour event and his iced tea-lemonade drink is a top-selling US brand.

Topping the women’s charts in 14th was China’s tennis star Li Na, 34, at $14 million. She retired two years ago but remains an iconic endorsement figure in her homeland. She won the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open titles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL–gQ2AvJY

Junior Bridgeman, who played mainly as a reserve for 12 years in the NBA before retiring in 1987, was fourth at $32 million, thanks to a owning a diverse lineup of restaurant franchises, with 1950s National Football League player Jerry Richardson, owner of a restaurant chain and the NFL Carolina Panthers, fifth on $30 million.

Jack Nicklaus, who won a record 18 major golf titles, was sixth on $26 million, largely due to his course design business.

He was followed by former NBA big man Shaquille O’Neal on $22 million, former race car driver turned car dealer and team owner Roger Penske on $20 million, South African golf legend Gary Player on $19 million and NBA legend Magic Johnson at $18 million.

Among other top international athletes was Australian golfer Greg Norman, 12th overall at $15 million thanks to course design and the sale of a sports management business, and Brazilian football icon Pele on $14 million. timeslive.co.za

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