Tiger Woods is one name that anyone who has remotely heard of golf can recognize. The golf star is the reason behind the sport gaining the global popularity that it has today. With a stellar 82 PGA Tour wins and 15 major victories, Woods has created a legacy that remains unmatched to this day. And what Tiger Woods is to golf, Michael Jordan is to professional basketball. Now retired, the NBA legend is a five time NBA MVP, six-time NBA champion and the only player ever to win six Finals MVP awards. Being among the first athletes to attain a billionaire status, both Jordan and Woods are widely regarded as the most successful sportspersons of all time.
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Apart from their humongous career earnings, smart business investments and valuable endorsements are what contributed to both of these GOATs’ net worth over time. But the question still remains: who outranks the other in terms of net worth – Woods or Jordan?
Analyzing Tiger Woods’ Net Worth and Source of Earnings
Having turned pro in 1996, Tiger Woods dominated the world of golf during the 1990s and 2000s. With over 82 championship titles to his name, the golf legend tops the list of the PGA Tour career earnings. According to his career stats, Woods has earned approximately $1.2 billion during his professional career, which includes a record $121 million in PGA Tour prize money.
Much of his wealth is attributed to his lucrative endorsement with Nike, which dates back to 1996. Some of his other big sponsors include Bridgestone, Monster Energy, Rolex, and TaylorMade. And despite being absent from the golf scene for most of the year owing to his injuries, the golf GOAT makes an estimated $60 million alone from his endorsement deals.
Tiger Woods also announced an innovative tech-based venture with Rory McIlroy named TMRW Sports last year, which is all set to launch a new golf league, TGL, in January 2024. Add his golf course design company, TGR Designs that has designed courses across the world, and a high end mini golf chain PopStroke to the mix, and his net worth all sums up to a whopping $1.1 billion. This led him to become the first billionaire golfer ever in 2022, and the third ever athlete to achieve such a feat after LeBron James and, of course, Michael Jordan.
Analyzing Michael Jordan’s Net Worth and Source of Earnings
Arguably the greatest NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball two decades ago, but his net worth only keeps growing. Stepping onto the court in 1984, Jordan took the NBA stage by storm in the 1980s and 1990s. Having played for the Chicago Bulls for 13 seasons, the GOAT helped his team grab six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998.
His outstanding career brought him $94 million in NBA contracts. And Forbes estimates that his endorsements with Nike, Gatorade and Hanes have earned him $1.8 billion in sponsorships and business. And talking about Nike’s iconic Air Jordan brand which offers MJ a 5% cut from the total sales, earned him around $256 million in 2022 from the deal alone!
Jordan also co-owns the 23XI Racing NASCAR team since 2020 having invested a cool $150 million in the team. The 60 year old also owns a stake in the sports betting firm DraftKings, which currently has a market capitalization of about $11.8 billion. MJ also happened to sell his majority stake in the NBA team Charlotte Hornets this year for an estimated $3 billion. Thus, keeping in mind all of these investments, Forbes states Michael Jordan’s net worth to be $3 billion.
This puts the NBA legend $1.9 billion ahead of Tiger Woods in terms of net worth, and $800 million ahead of the golf star in terms of earnings. But despite differences in net worth both legends have changed their sports for the good, and are still involved in big transformations happening across both worlds. And, when it comes to the love they receive from their fans; that remains priceless for eternity!
