The internationally renowned Cristiano Ronaldo has officially reached billionaire status – making him the first professional football player and third active athlete to ever do so. Because another title and more money were just what the Portugal/Juventus star was missing in his life.
The #2 highest-paid athlete of last decade (#1 Floyd Mayweather) and 2020 (#1 Roger Federer) has taken home an estimated US$650 million during his 17-year professional career, according to Forbes. The remaining US$350 million has been sourced from outside the pitch – everything from the virtually endless endorsements to his hotel chain. Yes, Ronaldo has a hotel chain.
It also doesn’t hurt that Ronaldo is the most followed individual on Instagram, boasting of a world best 222 million followers. I dare say a casual sponsored post or two directed to that mammoth audience would fetch a pretty penny. At least from our perspective. At this point, it’s probably pocket change to the big fella himself.
This latest development is yet another reflection of the football talent’s unwavering perseverance and brand power – both on and off the field. Coming from extremely humble beginnings, Ronaldo has made it his life’s work to show the world he deserves everything coming to him, billionaire status included. And we must say, this certainly makes for quite the rags to riches story.
Fascinated by Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth and his journey to becoming a billionaire? Check out this 2018 article where we compare his and Lionel Messi’s net worth back-to-back.
