In sport, money doesn’t always come solely off the back of accolades and awards.
Many might assume that footballing greats like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and tennis stars like Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are among the wealthiest sportspeople to ever ply their respective trades, due to their illustrious careers filled with trophies and achievements.
And while they are all stinking rich, thanks to their career earnings and endorsements, their respective net worths pale in comparison to some billionaires who have had the pleasure of being involved in the sporting world. There are a number of sports stars who have made a staggering amount of money over the years who have seemingly managed to fly under the radar. Mirror Sport takes a look at five of the richest stars involved in sport that you probably didn’t know about…
Despite failing to medal at the Olympics, 35-year-old Kasprzak has racked up an incredible fortune. The Dane represented her country at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games, finishing fourth in London in the team competition. And while you’re more likely to be familiar with names from athletics like Kelly Holmes, Usain Bolt, and Simone Biles, Kasprzak has made more than £1billion over the years.
However, it’s not dressage that allowed her to earn her fortune. She’s racked up a hefty bank balance with shoe manufacturer ECCO. Alongside her brother Andre, and her mother Hanni, Kasprzak is a proud owner of the company. According to ECCO’s site, she sits on the board of directors for the company which was founded by her grandfather, Karl Toosbuy, in 1963.
ECCO’s products are sold in 90 countries, and there are reportedly over 2,200 outlets worldwide as well as an online shop. Forbes estimated in 2021 that Kasprzak had a net worth of £1bn ($1.3bn) thanks to her business and sporting ventures – and that she also runs a private dressage barn in Haderslev.
As previously noted, many people would assume that the likes of Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Serena Williams are the most affluent stars in the world of tennis. However, the correct answer is Ion Tiriac, whose best performance on the courts came in the form of a quarter-finals finish at the 1968 French Open.
Despite a lack of Grand Slams, Tiriac has a reported £1.6bn net worth in 2025 and became Romania’s first billionaire in 2007. For context, Djokovic is thought to only have a net worth of £196m. While he first broke through in the world of tennis, Tiriac made the brunt of his fortune away from the courts.
He set up the first privately-owned bank in Romania towards the end of the Cold War, and under Tiriac Holdings Ltd, he has since been able to expand into the retail, insurance and airline markets. At 85, the titan of the business world owns a private jet and a stunning car collection, including two Rolls Royce Phantoms IV – a model which only saw 18 produced worldwide.
While Mukesh Ambani was never a professional sportsperson, he has been involved with the Indian Premier League. At 67, Ambani is India’s richest person thanks to the set-up of Reliance Industries Limited, which in-turn owns the Mumbai Indians. Forbes have Ambani as the ninth-richest billionaire, as he holds a whopping £78bn fortune which more than doubled during the global Coronavirus pandemic.
Sports fans may have recently seen Ambani’s name in the news of late for attempting to orchestrate a blockbuster showdown between UFC star Conor McGregor and content creator turned WWE athlete Logan Paul – although a deal is yet to have materialised.
Tennis fans may recognise the name Jessica Pegula, given that the 30-year-old currently sits sixth in the WTA rankings and has made it to the quarter-finals of six Grand Slams over the years. And while she has racked up career earnings of £13m in the singles game, it is her father’s £6.2bn net worth that she could one day inherit which lands her on this list.
Her father, Terry Pegula, is a self-made businessman who made his money from natural gas development. He also owns the Buffalo Bills NFL franchise, beating the likes of Donald Trump and Jon Bon Jovi to the acquisition.
Faiq Bolkiah is the nephew to the Sultan of Brunei and potential heir to a staggering £16bn fortune. The winger had stints with Southampton, Chelsea and Leicester but failed to break into the first team at any of the three, before signing with Maritimo for his first professional stint in 2020.
However, Bolkiah only played once at U23 level before moving to Chonburi in 2021. His tenure with the Thai side saw him play 32 appearances, scoring two goals and providing four assists. Should Bolkiah decide to call it quits on football any time soon, he certainly shouldn’t struggle with finances.
His father is also Prince Jefri, who once reportedly splashed out £12.5m to have Michael Jackson perform at his 50th birthday. However, it appears as though Bolkiah hasn’t let money get to his head, with former Chelsea academy team-mate Ruben Sammut citing how he was a humble person to work with.
Speaking to The Athletic, Sammut noted: “You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne. You would not have thought of him as royalty. He was a humble guy, trying every day like every academy player. We used to joke he didn’t need to play football but he wanted to play because he loved football.
“It wasn’t a regular thing we mentioned. It was that typical banter, saying he is royalty, saying, ‘what’s he doing playing with us?’. But we all knew deep down how much he wanted to play, so it was more good-willed passing comments.”
The new football season is upon us and with 500 live games to watch, as well access to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL and the NBA across eight dedicated channels, Sky Sports is the only way to watch all the action.
Get email updates with the day’s biggest stories