How He Makes and Spends Money
- David Beckham enjoyed an incredibly successful and lucrative professional soccer career.
- He’s since become a shrewd businessman and is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Here’s how the England captain turned entrepreneur makes and spends his considerable fortune.
David Beckham is one of the most famous soccer players of all time.
The English superstar suited up for powerhouse clubs Manchester United and Real Madrid during his illustrious professional career. He also captained The Three Lions in more than half of his appearances for his country.
But even after he hung up his boots for good in 2013, Beckham managed to stay relevant through his dealings off the pitch. He’s made quite a name — and fortune — for himself in the world of business.
Here’s how Beckham makes and spends his millions:
David Beckham and his wife — former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham — have an estimated net worth of $514 million.
That’s according to the Sunday Times Rich List, which reported this year that the power couple has a combined wealth of £425 million, or $514 million. Some outlets have estimated that the ex-soccer star’s personal net worth amounts to a whopping $450 million from his efforts on the pitch and in the boardroom.
He earned an estimated $800 million during his time as a soccer player.
Beckham is one of the most famous soccer players of all time.
After beginning his career at Manchester United, where he spent more than two decades, the English midfielder went on to enjoy spells with Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain before retiring in 2013.
According to the UK’s Daily Mirror, by the time he stepped away from the pitch, Beckham had earned $800 million on and off the field, making him the seventh highest-paid athlete ever at the time of his retirement.
Beckham’s portfolio has only grown since he wrapped his playing career.
In 2014, the year after he retired from professional soccer, Beckham launched his own company: DB Ventures.
The business handles most of Beckham’s post-soccer career activities, including his endorsements with Adidas, the Tudor watch brand, and his own whiskey brand, Haig Club.
Documents filed at Companies House showed that Beckham was paid dividends of $12.1 million in 2016, $22.2 million in 2017, $13.2 million in 2018, and $17.2 million in 2019.
In March 2022, Beckham sold 55% of DB Ventures to American branding company Authentic Brands Group, which owns Reebok, Juicy Couture, and the branding rights to Elvis Presley (more on him later), among others, reported CNBC.
Beckham was expected to receive upward of $230 million from the sale, the Times of London reported in January 2022.
In 2018, Beckham launched the MLS expansion team Inter Miami.
Beckham’s Inter Miami project was a long time in the making.
When the Englishman first signed for Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy as a player in 2007, he received an option to purchase an expansion team at a price of $25 million.
In 2014, the MLS announced that Beckham had exercised that option and that he and a group of other investors would start a franchise in Miami.
The team joined the MLS in 2020 and has since signed a number of high-profile players, most notably seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who joined the club earlier this year.
According to Kona Equity, Inter Miami boasts an annual revenue of $27 million.
Inter Miami’s commercial director Xavier Asensi told MARCA in August, however, that he expects Messi’s presence to quadruple the club’s revenue by 2024.
Last year, he agreed to become the face of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
According to the Evening Standard, the 10-year deal pocketed Beckham $177 million.
He came under heavy scrutiny for the partnership due to Qatar’s record of human rights violations.
Homosexual acts between consenting men are illegal in Qatar and subject to up to five years in prison, while there are also significant restrictions on free expression, reports of forced labor, and discrimination against women.
Beckham likes to spend his money on art.
Beckham is an avid art collector. He and his wife, Victoria, boast an impressive art collection worth almost $44 million, according to Luxuo.
The entire collection is “love-themed” and includes paintings, portraits, and sculptures by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Banksy, according to the Daily Mirror.
Artnet reported that in 2014, Beckham paid $780,000 for a commissioned painting titled “Daddy’s Girl” as a birthday present for his daughter, Harper.
He also likes buying various collectibles, including Elvis Presley memorabilia.
A 2021 report from Men’s Health suggested that Beckham spends a huge sum — $46,000 per day — on his “hobbies,” one of which includes buying Elvis memorabilia.
The report said that Beckham owns numerous Elvis costumes and other related merchandise.
Beckham’s many tattoos have cost him a pretty penny, too.
According to Men’s Health, Beckham has more than 67 tattoos.
He’s completely covered both of his arms, and he also has ink on his neck, back, chest, ribs, and even his hands and fingers.
In total, his collection has cost him upwards of $65,000, according to the Mirror.
Like many super-rich sportspeople, Beckham has an impressive car collection.
Beckham has spent over $3 million on cars over the years, The Sun has estimated.
According to GQ, Beckham has included a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead, a Bentley Bentayga, and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage X-Pack Volante among his collection of luxury vehicles.
He certainly knows enough about cars to recognize that someone who drives a Rolls-Royce does not qualify as “working class,” as he reminded his wife during an interview segment in the Netflix docu-series “Beckham.”
He’s also a fan of bikes, having owned a Super Vintage Knuckle, a Triumph Scrambler, and a Ducati Desmosedici RR among others, reported GQ.
He also owns a host of luxurious properties across the world.
Beckham and his wife’s real estate portfolio is worth an eye-watering $88 million, according to Hello magazine.
The most expensive of their properties is their $37 million London townhouse. Situated in the exclusive area of Holland Park, the house has seven bedrooms, its own gym, and a huge wine cellar.
The couple also owns a luxurious penthouse in Miami, Florida, that boasts floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Biscayne Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and city skyline. Additionally, they have a farmhouse in the Cotswolds of central-southwest England, a luxury yacht, and two different homes in Dubai.
According to Hello, the Beckhams own a $5 million apartment in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Their other Dubai property is a villa in Palm Jumeirah, which they reportedly purchased for $1.5 million in 2002, but it’s now thought to be worth upwards of $9 million.
The Beckhams like to vacation in France.
Last summer, Beckham, his family, and a number of friends vacationed in Saint-Tropez, according to the Metro. They stayed aboard a luxury yacht for the trip, coming ashore in the evenings to eat and drink.
One night on the trip, the group visited a karaoke bar where Victoria sang a rendition of the Spice Girls’ hit “Stop”, which she released with the group in 1998.
The Beckhams are also regulars in France’s capital city, which doubles as a Mecca of the fashion world. He, his wife, and his children are often spotted sitting next to the runway for some of the most prominent fashion houses.
While they spend plenty of money, the Beckhams also donate a lot to charity.
Beckham has worked as an ambassador for UNICEF — the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund — for more than 17 years. In March 2022, he and Victoria donated over $1 million to the organization’s Emergency Appeal for Ukraine after Russia began its invasion, reported The Sun.
As well as his work for UNICEF, Beckham has also supported charities such as the Red Cross, Help for Heroes, WildAid, and Save the Children among others. He’s also heavily involved in the Malaria No More nonprofit organization seeking to eradicate the disease.
And he, of course, has a mega-watt family to raise.
David and Victoria Beckham have four children together. Their eldest, Brooklyn, married American actress Nicola Peltz last year shortly after his 23rd birthday.
The second-eldest Beckham child, 21-year-old Romeo, is already following in his father’s footsteps as a soccer player for Brentford, while Cruz, 18, is a budding musician. The couple’s only daughter, 12-year-old Harper, is enrolled at London Stage School.
Beckham told Singapore Women’s Weekly in 2021 that his family is the most important thing in his life.
“Family, that’s what motivates me,” he said. “I’m dedicated to keep on proving to my children on how hard they have to work to be successful, to have a career, and to believe in themselves.”
