Tiger Woods net worth: An in-depth see at his riches after his breakup with Nike
Tiger Woods’ net worth: An in-depth look at his wealth after his breakup with Nike
Tiger Woods, one of the most popular athletes in sports history, is one of only a handful with a net worth over $1 billion — half of which came from endorsement deals with Nike.
Tiger Woods’ ex-wife’s net worth: A cool $200 million
Tiger Woods’ caddies: Additional millions of worth
Tiger Woods Foundation revenues: $22 million in 2022
Tiger Woods’ real estate portfolio: $75–$100 million
Tiger Woods’ toys: $74 million
Why was Tiger Woods so great?
Few things in life have been as reliable as watching Tiger Woods playing golf on Sundays, clad in a red shirt with Nike’s familiar swoosh logo. For 27 years, the iconic brand’s partnership with one of the greatest golfers in history minted hundreds of millions of dollars, and eventually, it even catapulted Woods into the ranks of the billion-dollar club.
What is Tiger Woods’ net worth?
As of 2023, Forbes estimates Woods’ fortune to be $1.1 billion, nearly half of which ($500 million) came from Nike alone.
We all knew their relationship wouldn’t last forever, but Nike (NKE) was one of the few brands that remained by Woods’ side through his years of ups and downs, punctuated by groundbreaking wins, staggering losses, multiple injuries, and personal controversies.
Still, it came as somewhat of a surprise on January 8, 2024, when Woods announced on his social media accounts that he was ending his contract with the sportswear brand. The relationship had lasted more than 28 years.
Woods’ endorsement deals, along with his professional career, began in 1996, when he was just 20. He had won the NCAA golf championship as well as three U.S. Amateur titles before being named Rookie of the Year by the PGA.
Sports Illustrated designated Woods their “Sportsman of the Year” (a distinction he would earn again in 2000), stating “in just two months as a pro, he has completely transformed the sport,” and that wasn’t an understatement. By 1997, Woods would be the #1 ranked golf player in the world — and golf suddenly became cool to play.
Interestingly, while Woods’ cover portrait on Sports Illustrated depicted him wearing a logoless baseball cap, soon, all of his apparel would proudly bear Nike’s insignia, when, on August 27, 1996, Woods signed a five-year sponsorship deal with the company for $40 million, the most lucrative athletic endorsement in history at the time.
Back then, Earl Woods, Tiger’s father, called the figure “chump change.” The father would turn out to be right, as Nike would go on to extend his contract four more times, the last time in 2013 for $200 million.
As Tiger Woods’ wealth skyrocketed, so did Nike’s bottom line. Nike amassed priceless amounts of PR from its partnership with the multiracial golfer, saying \”we watched him set records, challenge conventional thinking and inspire generations of people around the globe,” yet they also made a ton of money from him.
Woods wore Nike shoes and apparel exclusively and later competed using their golf clubs and balls. Nike’s revenues more than doubled between 1995 and 1997, from $4.76 billion to $9.19 billion, and the company even launched a separate Nike Golf vertical in 2002. While sales of golf equipment would never match their clothing, Nike Golf generated revenues between $500 and $800 million between 2006 and 2017, according to company annual reports.
Nike\’s share price rose more than 1,470% during the 27 years-plus of the company\’s relationship with Woods. Adjusted for four 2-for-1 stock splits and dividends, the total return is closer to 2,000%.
Tiger Woods’ red Nike shirts became a symbol of strength, power, and triumph over adversity; ESPN even conducted a color analysis of the red hues he wore — and for the record, Woods actually won the most tournaments wearing lighter, cerise colors, but he earned the most money donning deeper shades of crimson.
But it wasn’t just Tiger’s image that sold millions; his p
