Usain Bolt is the only track and field athlete to rank in Forbes’ latest celebrity rich list in which he is ranked at number 88 and he’s estimated to be the 23rd highest-earning athlete in the world. In 2017, his net worth is valued at over $58 million, but interestingly, only around 3.5% of that came from winning races. With 11 gold medals, one silver and two relay world records under his belt, Bolt has earned the equivalent of just under $1 million from major world championships.
Unlike athletes from other countries, Jamaican athletes don’t receive any prize money for medals won at Olympic or Commonwealth games, so even though these wins haven’t directly contributed to Bolt’s bank balance, they’ve had an invaluable impact on his star power. With his headlining potential, he can command large appearance fees that reach over $350,000. He’s also been the individual winner of Diamond League races a total of 23 times and the overall winner of one Diamond League Race, which has accumulated winnings of more than $274,000.
Usain Bolt is a brand marketer’s dream! If we look at the 2012 London Olympics, more than a million entrances had been registered into the ticket ballot for the men’s 100 meter final and organizers were eventually able to charge up to £874 (approx. $1,140) for a seat. He boasts endorsement deals with PUMA, Virgin Media, Visa and Nissan among others, and also has a Regupol-sponsored, world-class running track installed at his Jamaican training venue. Bolt chooses his celebrity appearances based on his personality as much as his athletic prowess and his recent collaboration with PokerStars is a good example of that. Shortly after his retirement, Bolt became the face of the PokerStars ZOOM Poker Usain Bolt Edition, the first time the company had ever included celebrity-branded tables in its games. PokerStars is a leading global online poker platform with its own mobile casino and real money app. The company also sponsors top European poker events and has consistently partnered with some of the world’s most famous sports stars, so Bolt was in familiar company!
A large portion of Bolt’s income comes from leading sportswear brand PUMA, for which Bolt is a global ambassador until 2025. His 2016 deal with the German company netted him over $10 million a year, which helped his annual earnings to peak over $30 million for 2015-16. His current deal with PUMA following his retirement is valued at around $4 million a year. Bolt’s other major endorsement deals include a $2.6 million package with Virgin, approximately $3 million with Gatorade (plus additional bonuses when he is spotted drinking it), and over $600,000 with Visa.
In 2013, Usain Bolt peaked as the 48th highest-earning celebrity in the world, and despite his retirement from the track, we expect him to remain in the top 100 for a number of years to come. Bolt’s running career may have come to an end, but the world is his oyster. In addition to his celebrity poker endorsement this summer, Bolt expressed an interest in starring in Hollywood action movies and playing football for Manchester United! Whatever moves he makes now that he’s hung up his running spikes, it’s unlikely Bolt’s net worth will decrease soon.