Muhammad Ali Net Worth (2024)

Info

Category:
Richest AthletesBoxers
Net Worth:
$50 Million
Birthdate:
Jan 17, 1942 - Jun 3, 2016 (74 years old)
Birthplace:
Louisville
Gender:
Male
Height:
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Profession:
Professional Boxer, Philanthropist, Social activist
Nationality:
United States of America

💰 Compare Muhammad Ali's Net Worth

What Was Muhammad Ali's Net Worth?

Muhammad Ali was a retired American boxer who had a net worth of $50 million at the time of his death. During his prime, Muhammad was one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. He died on June 4, 2016, at the age of 74.

Muhammad Ali Career Earnings

Ali was not the first boxer to earn $1 million for a fight, that honor went to Gene Tunney in 1927 for his rematch against Jack Dempsey. But Ali did earn $2.5 million in 1971 to fight Joe Frazier. That's the same as $15 million today. He then earned $5.45 million fighting George Foreman in 1974. That's the same as $26 million today. Ali's biggest career paycheck came in 1980 when he took home $7.9 million for fighting Larry Holmes. Interestingly, when adjusted for inflation, $7.9 million in 1980 is equal to $22 million today, which technically makes Ali's $5.45 million 1974 check the biggest payday of his career.

In 2006, Ali reportedly sold the rights to his name and image for $50 million. As part of that deal, Ali held on to a 20% interest in his licensing. That 20% stake has resulted in $7 million per year in revenue.

Early Life

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 17th, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. One of six children, he was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. His father painted billboard signs, and his mother, Odessa O'Grady Clay, stayed at home to raise Cassius and his younger brother. He attended Central High School in Louisville and struggled with a learning disorder throughout school. Growing up amid racial segregation, Cassius experienced many acts of racial injustice and prejudice, such as being denied a drink of water at a store. He was profoundly affected by the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, which led to him and a friend vandalizing a local railyard in a showing of protest.

Early Career

Ali became interested in boxing at the age of 12 after his bike was stolen, and he flew into a wild rage at the scene of the crime. The police officer on the scene saw Clay's anger and advised him to channel it into boxing. Cassius partnered with boxing coach Fred Stoner, and together they would go on to win many championships, including six Kentucky Golden Gloves, an Amateur Athletic Junior Title, and two National Golden Gloves. He made his debut in 1954 in a victory against local boxer Ronnie O'Keefe. For the last four years of his amateur career, he was trained by Chuck Bodak. His biggest achievement as an amateur was winning the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. His amateur record was 100 wins and 5 losses.

Professional Boxing Career

After the Olympics, Clay returned to Louisville, where he began his professional career. He made his winning debut on October 29th, 1960, and he stayed undefeated for three straight years, with 15 out of the 19 fights ending with knockouts. This was attributed to Clay's unusual boxing style. Boxers of his height and figure usually relied on keeping their hands high to defend the face, but Clay used his quickness to avoid punches and kept his hands low. He quickly began to build a reputation for himself. He was famous for announcing what round his fellow boxer would go down, and was right seven times. Beyond that, he also began taunting his opponents before each match. Soon Cassius became the top contender to go up against Sonny Liston, who was the current title holder. Even though Clay had an amazing record, he still went into the fight as the underdog. In the end, Clay beat Liston and, at 22, became the youngest fighter to ever steal the title from a heavyweight champion.

Cassius officially changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 when he joined the Nation of Islam. In 1966, he refused to be drafted into the military, citing religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. Ali was arrested and found guilty of draft evasion. He was stripped of his boxing titles but appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. They overturned his conviction in 1971, but had been out of the ring for four years and had lost his peak and prime athletic performance. His refusal to be drafted was lauded and supported by Civil Rights activists, with Al Sharpton speaking out about Ali's bravery and his energizing force behind the movement. In 1970, he was honored with the Martin Luther King Award by civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy. Coretta Scott King, in a speech at the ceremony, added that Ali was a "champion of justice and peace and unity."

Muhammad Ali Net Worth (1)

(ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP via Getty Images)

Later that year, Ali participated in what was hailed as the fight of the century when, on March 8th, he went up against heavyweight title holder Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden. The fight lived up to its name as the two undefeated fighters went toe to toe for 15 rounds. In the end, Frazier would take the fight, serving Ali his first professional loss. Ali and Frazier would fight two more times. Their next fight was not in a title fight because Frazier had already lost his title to George Foreman. This time, Ali took Frazier down, which set up a fight against Foreman. The match between Ali and Foreman was called "The Rumble in the Jungle" because it took place in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali went into the fight once again as the underdog and once again surprised the world when he defeated Foreman to regain the heavyweight title in 1981. Ali was famous for trash-talking in the ring and his spoken-word poetry in the ring resembled hip-hop and rap. In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's Syndrome. The syndrome took away Ali's voice and motor skills. Regardless of this setback, he was very active in the fight against Parkinson's during his lifetime. In 1996, he was given the honor of lighting the Olympic flame. Ali remains the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion. He will likely go down in history as one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time.

Outside the ring, Ali was a talented musician who received two Grammy nominations. He also was an actor and a writer and released two autobiographies. He was well known for being a philanthropist and a humanitarian. Sadly, Muhammad Ali died of septic shock on June 4, 2016, at the age of 74, in Scottsdale, Arizona. His memorial was well attended by fellow sports figures and celebrities and was watched by an estimated 1 billion viewers worldwide.

Personal Life

Ali was married four times. He first married cocktail waitress Sonji Roi in August 1964, and they were divorced in January 1966. Ali married Belinda Boyd in August 1967, and they had four children together. In 1974, at age 32, Ali was in an extramarital relationship with 16-year-old Wanda Bolton. The pair had two children together and were married in an Islamic ceremony that wasn't legally recognized by the state. He married Veronica Porche in 1977, and they had two children together. They got divorced in 1986, and Ali married Yolanda Williams, who had been his close friend since 1964. They adopted a son. One of Ali's daughters, Laila, was a professional boxer from 1999 until 2007.

Who's Richer?

MuhammadAliCompare!MikeTyson

All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below.

Muhammad Ali Net Worth (2024)

FAQs

How much money did Muhammad Ali worth? ›

At first glance this seems like a large sum of money, but once you consider that Ali retired 35 years ago, and that he faced escalating medical bills as his Parkinson's Disease progressed, it is quite impressive that at the end of his life his estate is estimated to be worth about $50 million.

Why did Cassius Clay change his name? ›

After befriending Malcom X, the boxing champion announced to reporters that he had renounced the name Clay - citing it as a slave name - and would be called Cassius X. In 1964, Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, suggested a new name: Muhammad Ali. Watch our clip from MUHAMMAD ALI to learn more.

How much did Muhammad Ali leave in his will? ›

Mr. Ali, a three-time world heavyweight boxing champion and arguably the most recognizable sports figure of the 20th century, left an estate worth somewhere between $50 million and $80 million.

Who is the billionaire boxer? ›

Floyd Mayweather is the richest boxer in the world with a net worth of $400 million. The retired American boxing champion is the fifth highest-paid athlete ever. During the course of his 21-year career between 1996 and 2017, he won 15 major world championships from super featherweight to light middleweight.

Who is the wealthiest boxer ever? ›

Floyd Mayweather Jr., often referred to as "Money," is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time and also the wealthiest. Throughout his career, Mayweather won multiple world titles in five weight classes and retired with an undefeated record of 50-0.

How much is Tyson Fury worth right now? ›

Some sources, such as the Daily Mirror, suggest it could be as high as £180 million, while others estimate it to be between £60m and £80m. According to Forbes, he ranks as the 42nd highest paid athlete in the world for 2024, raking in a cool $50 million (£39.5m).

Did Muhammad Ali's children inherit his money? ›

According to the Daily Mail, each of his NINE children will receive $6 million and his widow, Lonnie, will receive the rest. Supposedly, his children were upset that their step mom was receiving more money than them. However, Ali's eldest daughter claims that there was never an inheritance dispute.

How much did will Smith make from Ali? ›

After years of being attached to the Ali biopic, Smith officially signed on in May 2000 with a $20 million salary.

What ended Muhammad Ali's career? ›

More than a year after the Holmes beating, 39 year old Ali fought a 10-rounder against Trevor Berbick, who nearly didn't fight because he wanted more money. There was tremendous chaos surrounding the fight, but when it finally happened, Berbick ended Ali's great career with a unanimous decision.

Can a boxer be a millionaire? ›

Boxing has long been a popular sport around the globe, with many fighters becoming household names and earning significant fortunes through their careers in the ring. And, of course, multimillion endorsements and ambassador roles have only added to their net worths.

Who is the highest paid boxer? ›

Anthony Joshua tops the list of highest-earning active boxers in 2024. The British-born heavyweight has earned approximately $250 million over his fighting career. Joshua became a pro in 2013 after winning a gold medal for Great Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

How much did Tyson Fury get for his last fight? ›

The fight purse awarded Fury a cool £100m but he faces having to fork out to the taxman. According to Stocklytics, Fury would be forced to pay £44,986,203 in income tax and £2,002,764.60 in national insurance after the fight in Riyadh. That would leave the 35-year-old with a total prize fund of £53,011,032.40.

How rich was Ali when he died? ›

Despite these challenges, Ali's estate was valued at around $80 million at the time of his death. But most of his wealth is tied to real estate and investments.

How much did Muhammad Ali win and lose? ›

His final record of 56 wins and 5 losses with 37 knockouts has been matched by others, but the quality of his opponents and his overwhelming success during his prime placed him among boxing's immortals.

How much money did Muhammad Ali make vs George Foreman? ›

The Rumble in the Jungle was conceived by Don King, a former numbers runner whose only previous association with boxing had been a brief promotion stint for a charity exhibition. He promised $5 million paychecks to both Foreman and Ali for their participation in the fight—then record sums.

How much money did Mike Tyson make? ›

It is estimated that during his entire active boxing career, Tyson earned $300 million. However, he ended up squandering due to bad financial decisions and excesses. He was also sentenced to six years in prison in 1992 and spent more than $50 million in hiring lawyers, among others.

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