Former tennis player from Romania is currently worth more than the combined net worth of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
With a net worth of approximately £200 million, Ion Tiriac, an 84-year-old Romanian who played tennis from 1958 to 1979, is a billionaire, surpassing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi combined. His greatest sporting accomplishment was winning the 1970 French Open men’s doubles, where he defeated a partnership that included Arthur Ashe. He also reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in doubles, won 22 titles in pairs, and won 34 titles in singles. Unlike players like Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, his earnings on the court were modest, and his accomplishments after hanging up their racquet have completely changed his life.
Ion Tiriac, who founded a sizable investment firm that specializes in real estate, financial services, airlines, and many other industries, is currently 84 years old and, according to Forbes, has a net worth of almost £1.6 billion ($2 billion).
Because of his work with the Tiriac Group, he became the first billionaire in Romanian history in 2007 and accumulated a vast collection of luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV.”Created at the initiative of Mr. Ion Tiriac, the Group currently brings together more than 40 local private companies, operating in the following main sectors: automotive, real estate, financial services (insurance), air transportation, and energy,” states the company’s mission statement on its website.
Tiriac Group consistently strives for the best service quality standards in order to establish itself as a role model for regional and global business owners.
The “Tiriac Group, led by visionary and meticulous Romanian entrepreneur Mr. Ion Tiriac, consistently expands its operational portfolio to encompass a wide range of services offered to its clients.”
Due to his enormous wealth, Tiriac can brag about much more than a lot of active athletes today or even former athletes who have retired and started their own businesses.
With a reputed net worth of over £500 million ($631 million), Cristiano Ronaldo is regarded as one of the wealthiest athletes in the world, but despite his enormous wealth and several sponsorship deals, he is not even close to Tiriac.
According to reports, Ronaldo makes over £107 million ($136 million) a year from his rich contract with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia in addition to his endorsement deals off the field.
One of the most recognizable athletes in the world, the former star of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus has made millions of dollars from his own CR7 brand in addition to endorsement deals with Armani, Nike, and Herbalife.
Messi’s net worth is estimated to be about £464 million ($586 million), with Forbes reporting that he receives about £102 million annually from his Inter Miami contract and off-field endorsement deals.
For the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Argentine World Cup champion, that includes his rich sponsorship with Adidas in addition to Mastercard, Pepsi, and the Saudi tourism board.
Due to his fortune, Tiriac has a higher net worth than NBA player LeBron James, whose estimated net worth is £791 million ($1 billion).
Adopted as ‘the Brasov Bulldozer’ following his birthplace, Tiriac overextended himself during his professional career. Following his retirement from tennis in 1979, he momentarily worked as a coach for several tennis players, including Marat Safin, Goran Ivanisevic, and Ilie Nastase.
Later, from 1984 until 1993, he even served as Boris Becker’s sports agent.
Moreover, he played ice hockey earlier in his career and represented Romania in the 1964 Winter Olympics.