Roger Federer reaches billionaire status as ‘scandal free’ star proves a valuable asset
As if a spectacular career was not enough, Roger Federer’s off-court investments have made him a billionaire and one of the richest athletes in the world.
The Swiss legend is third in tennis’ all-time top earners having pocketed $130,594,339 in prize money during his playing days but Federer’s greatest financial moves have been made on Wall Street rather than Wimbledon.
According to Bloomberg, Federer has a net worth of $1.3 billion, making him what they say is the fourth richest athlete in the world behind Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tiger Woods.
As to how he amassed his fortune, that comes through a variety of sponsorships but also investments.
On the sponsor side, Federer has had long-term partnerships with Credit Suisse bank (now UBS Group AG), Rolex and Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli AG.
Federer also had a rolling contract with Nike which he first signed in 1996 but in 2018, he left the company to sign with Japanese manufacturer Uniqlo in a 10-year deal worth $300 million.
Away from the court, Federer’s greatest deal came with Swiss shoe company On Running.
Already a fan of the product, Federer reached out to the company for a partnership, eventually acquiring 3% of the company.
With Federer’s support and publicity, the company’s value soared to $12 billion and when they went public in September 21, Federer’s cut was worth $360 million, almost three times as much as he made in the entirety of his tennis career.
But as to why Federer is so marketable, sports analyst Bob Dorfman believes it is his clear image.
“Federer is totally scandal free. He never says the wrong thing,” he told Bloomberg. “He hasn’t been a John McEnroe, feisty personality type. But in terms of marketability, he’s been one of tennis’s best.”
On told Tennis365 in April how Federer was involved in creating his own shoe line.
“Roger’s contribution towards the success and immense popularity of The ROGER Pro is unquestionable and he continues to be one of On’s most admired innovation leaders,” they said.
“Roger’s wealth of knowledge and expertise has been instrumental in every aspect of the performance design and technology adapted to meet the demands of the game.
More on Roger Federer from Tennis365
The 10 greatest Wimbledon men’s singles champions of the Open Era – ranked!
Novak Djokovic makes confession about his staggering achievements after latest Wimbledon feat
The 12 men to reach four consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals as Jannik Sinner emulates Big Four
Elsewhere, Chilean plant-based food company NotCo received $330 million in investment from a number of the athletes, including Federer as well as F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and golfer Tiger Woods.
Federer is not the only tennis player to dip his toe in investments with Rafael Nadal recently receiving €100 million after selling 44.9% of his tennis academy in Mallorca. The Spaniard also earns money from being a tennis ambassador for Saudi Arabia.
Andy Murray has a number of investments such as Castore, Game4Padel, PerkBox and WeSwap.
The Scot also owns a £2 million hotel near his Dunblane home where he got married.
Read next: 6 reasons why Jannik Sinner v Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-final is a must watch
