How Tiger Woods Makes His Billions - And What He Does With It All

There are famous athletes, and then there’s Tiger Woods. The professional golfer has been on the scene for almost 30 years and has done a lot with his career and time in the limelight - even if not all of it has been positive. Still, that hasn’t stopped millions of people and some of the biggest brands in the business from teaming up with the golfer.

Getting named a billionaire was no easy feat for Tiger Woods, but how does he make his billions, and what does he do with it all? It seems Woods has plenty to his name and loves to splash the cash on certain aspects of his life.

Tiger Woods has earned over $1.4 billion since 1996

If you’re wondering how Tiger Woods makes his billions, you might want to look at his golfing career. He turned pro in 1996 and has raked in a huge amount of cash in that time. After all, the Tour Championship has earned Woods $4.6 million alone - $3 million from coming second in the FedEx Cup and $1.6 million for winning, the former being one of his biggest payouts. 

A lot of Tiger Woods’ fortune is actually from off the course

Amazingly, Tiger Woods is only one of two sports stars to become a billionaire, the other being LeBron James. Still, it’s not golf that’s earned him the most money. Instead, Forbes estimates that Woods makes $100 million a year away from the course, earning $60 million through endorsements in 2020 alone.

Tiger Woods was dropped following cheating controversies

Things took a major turn in 2009 when Tiger Woods was accused of cheating on his wife before crashing his car outside their house two days later. Several women quickly came forward to talk about their alleged affairs with the golfer, and it didn’t do his career any favors. Although caddy Joe LaCava and sponsor Nike stuck with Woods, Tag Heuer, Golf Digest, Gillette, Gatorade, and AT&T were just some of the many to drop Tiger Woods from their endorsements. 

His career took a nosedive following various injuries

Signing a $200 million deal with Nike in 2013 was a major moment for Tiger Woods. However, allegations of infidelity led to a divorce that cost Woods a reported $100 million, making it one of the most expensive celebrity divorces of all time. To top it off, the golfer hasn’t won a major championship since 2008 or won on tour since the same year as his deal with Nike. Some of this is down to various injuries, including his fourth back surgery following a car accident that saw Woods charged with DUI. 

His yacht is one of Tiger Woods’ most lavish purchases

Can you be a celebrity without a few lavish purchases? Apparently not. Tiger Woods has spent much of his money on his 155-foot private megayacht named Privacy, which set him back a whopping $25 million. Although he considered selling it amid the divorce proceedings, Woods still has Privacy and has it docked in North Palm Beach in Florida.

Tiger Woods also spent $55 million on a custom mansion

Another of Tiger Woods’ lavish purchases comes in the form of none other than his 10-acre Jupiter property in Florida. Here, Woods invested $55 million to have it custom-built from the ground up. Alongside a private dock, Woods also has his own golf course and putting simulator to practice when he likes. 

The golfer spends a lot of money on his passions

Believe it or not, but Tiger Woods has plenty of other passions away from golf. For one, the athlete loves spearfishing and once skipped a tune-up tournament so he could go fishing instead. Woods is also a massive Oakland Raiders fan and spends a lot of time supporting the football team when he can. 

Tiger Woods owns his own restaurant

Did you know that Tiger Woods has his own restaurant? That’s right; the golfer invested in The Woods Jupiter after spending so long eating meals on the road. Apparently, Woods wanted to bring a sports bar to life as a place where loved ones could come together and has been serving American-inspired cuisine ever since.

He often spends money shipping furniture to rented houses

Amazingly, Tiger Woods might spend a lot of his fortune shipping his furniture around the world. Ricky Reilly, a columnist for ESPN, reported as much in 2013. Apparently, Woods has everything sent to houses he rents when he’s playing in tournaments, even if he’s only away from home for a few days. 

Traveling costs Tiger Woods a lot of money

Traveling across the world doesn’t come cheap, with Tiger Woods’ Gulfstream G550 private jet setting him back around $54 million. However, he also spent $12 million on the Tiger Woods Foundation in 2012 as he loves to donate extra money to charity.

Tiger Woods has come a long way since turning pro in 1996 and is now one of the richest athletes in the world. Perhaps it’s no wonder his life is so full of luxuries?