How did David Beckham make his money? Breaking down net worth of UK's first sports billionaire

They are 141st in the newspaper's rankings, a climb of 132 places after their wealth increased by £685 million ($913 million).

The list is topped by the Hinduja Family, the owners of the multinational conglomerate Hinduja Group. Their net worth is estimated to be £38bn ($50.7bn).

David Beckham career earnings

Beckham enjoyed a stellar career as a midfielder for Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain.

While the peak of his playing days in Europe saw him well remunerated — in 2003, France Football reported that he was the highest-paid player in the world — it was Beckham's landmark contract with LA Galaxy in 2007 that earned him the biggest fortune.

Although his deal with the MLS franchise saw his salary decrease by around 70 per cent compared with his terms at Real Madrid, it included numerous clauses that boosted its value significantly.

Sports investment expert Joe Pompliano reported that Beckham's contract entitled him to a percentage of the Galaxy's overall revenue. It also included a clause that allowed him to purchase an expansion team after retirement for approximately $23m. All told, he earned an estimated $255m with the LA franchise, taking into account salary, revenue sharing, endorsements, appearances, and licensing fees.

In total, he earned somewhere close to $800m during his playing career, according to The Mirror.

David Beckham Inter Miami ownership

The expansion team Beckham chose to buy after retiring in 2013 was Inter Miami. Founded in 2018, the Herons became MLS Cup champions for the first time in 2025, two years after signing Lionel Messi.

According to Forbes, Inter Miami are the most valuable franchise in MLS as of 2026, worth approximately $1.35bn.

MORE:Beckham's career in detail, family, Super Bowl commercial, and more

David Beckham sponsorships and endorsements

Beckham, now 51, has partnered with the likes of H&M, Armani, Adidas, Breitling, Gillette, PepsiCo, Maserati, and countless others to promote their brands, and he was handed a decent paycheck for doing it.

In 2014, he launched his own company, DB Ventures, to help manage his deals, which included his $160m contract with Adidas. He reportedly sold 55 per cent of the company for more than $230m in 2022, according to the Times.

In 2022, he signed on to be the ambassador for the Qatar World Cup. Qatar reportedly paid him around $166m to help promote the event. This caused some controversy: LGBT+ groups, who had previously valued Beckham as an ally, were angered by his decision to endorse a tournament in a country where homosexuality is illegal.

In 2025, Beckham was knighted by King Charles III for his services to sport and charity.

What does Victoria Beckham do?

Victoria met David while she was part of the all-girl pop group The Spice Girls, who enjoyed massive success in the 1990s.

She has since forged a lucrative career in the fashion industry.

How many soccer players are billionaires?

Cristiano Ronaldo is recognised as the first active soccer player to become a billionaire. The Portugal star, now playing in the Saudi Pro League on a $180m-per-year contract, is said to be worth $1.4bn.

Less well known is the wealth of Mathieu Flamini. The former Arsenal and AC Milan midfielder, who was named the Gunners' player of the season in 2007/08, is a co-founder of plant-based chemical firm GFBiochemicals.

Flamini's wealth is at least partly tied into the company, but it is estimated to be around $10bn.