The Sunday Times is touting its list of the richest sports stars, and “If you want to get seriously rich in sport, get driving, preferably fast cars not little white balls.”
The list mainly is dominated by former drivers, with Jenson Button the richest current British driver. The Times pegs his worth at 43 million Pounds.
Here’s the top 10 of the richest as well as the richest younger than 30:
1 Dave Whelan Football £190m
2 David Beckham Football £125m
3 Johnny Dumfries Motor racing £110m
4 Lennox Lewis Boxing £95m
5 Eddie Irvine Motor racing £80m
6 Jody Scheckter Motor racing £60m
7 Dave Richards Motor racing £58m
8= David Coulthard Motor racing £50m
8= Nigel Mansell Motor racing £50m
10 Jenson Button Motor racing £43mYOUNG SPORT RICH LIST TOP 10
Aged 30 and under
1 Jenson Button Motor racing £43m
2 Michael Owen Football £40m
3 Lewis Hamilton Motor racing £35m
4 Wayne Rooney Football £33m
5 John Terry Football £20m
6 Andy Murray Tennis £15m
7 Joe Cole Football £14m
8= Petr Cech Football £13m
8= Luol Deng Basketball £13m
8= Michael Essien Football £13m
Here’s a bit more of a breakdown:
After those two, however, comes the roar of engines revving. Of the next 13 places, 10 go to motor racers.
Highest among current drivers is Jenson Button, the reigning world champion with wealth estimated at £43m. After a strong start to the season, Button leads the drivers’ championship, making him well placed to overtake Nigel Mansell and David Coulthard in the rich list. Both retired, Mansell and Coulthard are worth £50m apiece.
Other former F1 racers have amassed fortunes by turning track speed into entrepreneurial success: they include Eddie Irvine, with £80m, and Sir Jackie Stewart, with £41m.
Lewis Hamilton trails on £35m – but he is only 25. More unexpected is to find Dario Franchitti ahead of Hamilton on the rich grid. Dario who?
Franchitti, who was born in Bathgate, Scotland, has made £36m from Nascar and IndyCar racing in the US. In 2007 he won the Indy 500 at Indianapolis.
Though his work keeps him in the US much of the time, he hasn’t forgotten his roots. He married the actress Ashley Judd at Skibo Castle in Scotland and has a £3m estate in Perthshire.
So, it pays to drive a car, as Paul Charsley would say, “a bit faster.”
And, yes, the slow news cycle continues.
