Michael Schumacher once defeated Shaquille O’Neal by $50.6 million around 20 years ago

Michael Schumacher once defeated Shaquille O'Neal by $50.6 million around 20 years ago

Michael Schumacher is one of the greatest and most successful F1 drivers of all time. He became a legend during his time with Ferrari, winning five Drivers’ Championships with the Maranello-based outfit. Back in 2002, he was arguably one of the biggest names in sports, ahead of some pretty legendary figures.

NBA players are among the world’s richest athletes on most occasions. Today, the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry are right up there as one of the highest-paid sportspeople in the world. However, back in 2002, Shaquille O’Neal was the real deal in the NBA. The 7″1 former-center played for some of the biggest teams in the NBA like the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

O’Neal won the NBA Title four times and is a 15-time all-star in the league. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest centers and basketball players of all time. On top of that, he was very highly paid, and his popularity meant that his presence was a commercial boost for any team he was part of. However, the Newark-born former basketballer was not the most valuable athlete in the world during his prime years. In fact, he was third in the list.

Also read: Nico Rosberg excludes Lewis Hamilton from top 3 in his 2022 F1 rankings

Michael Schumacher ranked ahead of Shaquille O’Neal and Tiger Woods

In a list released by Report On Business Magazine back in 2002, the most valuable athletes in the world were ranked in order. O’Neal was third on the list, with his net worth being $29.4 million. Ahead of him was golf legend Tiger Woods, who had a net worth of $69 million.

The gap between O’Neal and Woods was huge, but not as big as the one between O’Neal and Schumacher. The legendary F1 driver had a net worth of $80 million, which was $50.6 more than O’Neal’s.

Schumacher was already a five-time World Champion back in 2002, which made him the most successful in F1 history already. However, the German driver went on to win two more World Championships in 2003 and 2004 respectively, which forever etched his name in the history books. Till this date, no driver has won more World Championships than him. Mercedes starlet Lewis Hamilton is tied with him at seven.

Also read: “Fernando Alonso is helping me a lot”: Alpine academy prodigy hails 2-time World Champion for guiding him towards F1 dream

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
ferrari Michael Schumacher Shaquille O'Neal

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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