CELEBRITY
Riches to Rags: Sport stars who went broke in retirement
When it all goes wrong
The adrenaline rush of competing in front of thousands of cheering fans, along with the lavish lifestyles that come with lucrative contracts, can make the life of a pro athlete seem like a fairytale. However, not all sports stars manage their finances wisely, and some end up facing financial ruin once their playing days are over. Here, we take a closer look at several high-profile athletes who went from living the high life to experiencing the harsh reality of bankruptcy.
Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona, an Argentine soccer legend, captured the world’s attention with his exceptional skills and memorable goals. Despite earning massive sums of money throughout his career, Maradona struggled with addiction, extravagant spending, and legal troubles. In 2009, there Argentine filed for bankruptcy after Italian Tax Authority demanded he pay around £53 million in unpaid taxes from his time as a Napoli player, according to Sportskeeda.
Boris Becker
Boris Becker, a tennis icon and multiple Grand Slam champion, achieved worldwide fame and fortune in the 1980s. However, Becker’s extravagant lifestyle, including expensive homes, luxury cars, failed business ventures and divorce settlements contributed to his financial struggles. In 2017, he was declared bankrupt squandering a fortune of over $200 million, according to the Mirror. He was also jailed for hiding over 3 million dollars in his fraud case relating to his bankruptcy.
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman was characterized as someone who was very generous during his NBA career. But his generosity wasn’t what caused him to go broke. According to ABC News, Rodman had a serious drinking problem in 2012 that led to him filing court papers saying he could not afford to pay child support. At the time, he owed his ex-wife over $837,000 in back child support and was previously ordered to pay her $50,000 a month, according to Nicki Swift.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson: Once known as “Iron Mike” and considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, Mike Tyson amassed a fortune estimated at $300 million throughout his career. However, poor financial management, extravagant spending, and legal troubles took a toll on his finances. In 2003, Tyson filed for bankruptcy, with debts exceeding $$38.4 million, according to the Bleacher Report,
Marion Jones
Marion Jones was a track and field sensation, winning multiple Olympic medals and World Championships. However, her career took a dark turn when she admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs and subsequently had her medals stripped. Along with the loss of her reputation, Jones faced a series of legal battles and financial challenges, ultimately leading to her bankruptcy filing in 2007.
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield, a legendary heavyweight boxer, amassed an impressive fortune throughout his career. Despite earning a whopping reported $500 million during his career, according to Sportskeeda, Holyfield faced financial challenges due to extravagant spending, multiple divorces, and poor financial management. In 2012, he faced foreclosure on his Georgia mansion and filed for bankruptcy.
Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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For the third year in a row, and the fifth time overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid athlete.
But at age 40, the Portuguese soccer superstar is reaching new highs.
Over the past 12 months, counting both his playing salary at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and his off-field business endeavors, Ronaldo collected an estimated $275 million before taxes and agent fees—the third-best year by an active athlete ever measured by Forbes.
On that all-time list, Ronaldo is surpassed only by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018.
And when it comes to the 2025 leaderboard, Ronaldo has a $119 million advantage over No. 2, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
The League of Wealthy Sportsmen
The gap is especially impressive considering that Curry’s $156 million total is also a record for his sport, beating the NBA mark of $128.2 million set last year by LeBron James.
And there are plenty of other eye-popping paydays among this year’s 10 highest-paid athletes, starting with James, who notched a personal-best $133.8 million to land at No. 6. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 4, $137million) and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (No. 7, $114 million) broke records for the NFL and MLB.
Combined, the 10 highest-paid athletes brought in $1.4 billion, up slightly from last year’s $1.38 billion and the largest total since Forbes began ranking athlete earnings in 1990.
This year is also only the second time, after 2024, that every member of the top 10 made at least $100 million.
In fact, heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk ($101 million) and golfer Jon Rahm ($100 million) reached the milestone, too, without managing to crack this list.
For the third year in a row, and the fifth time overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid athlete.
But at age 40, the Portuguese soccer superstar is reaching new highs.
Over the past 12 months, counting both his playing salary at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and his off-field business endeavors, Ronaldo collected an estimated $275 million before taxes and agent fees—the third-best year by an active athlete ever measured by Forbes.
On that all-time list, Ronaldo is surpassed only by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018.
And when it comes to the 2025 leaderboard, Ronaldo has a $119 million advantage over No. 2, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
The gap is especially impressive considering that Curry’s $156 million total is also a record for his sport, beating the NBA mark of $128.2 million set last year by LeBron James.
And there are plenty of other eye-popping paydays among this year’s 10 highest-paid athletes, starting with James, who notched a personal-best $133.8 million to land at No. 6. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 4, $137million) and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (No. 7, $114 million) broke records for the NFL and MLB.
Combined, the 10 highest-paid athletes brought in $1.4 billion, up slightly from last year’s $1.38 billion and the largest total since Forbes began ranking athlete earnings in 1990.
This year is also only the second time, after 2024, that every member of the top 10 made at least $100 million.
In fact, heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk ($101 million) and golfer Jon Rahm ($100 million) reached the milestone, too, without managing to crack this list.
World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2025
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