Fakoyejo OlalekanThe cost of divorce among sportsmen has once again grabbed news headlines since the the divorce story of Spanish actress, Hiba Abouk, and PSG player, Achraf Hakimi.
Hakimi, who is currently facing sexual abuse charge, was in court over a divorce settlement with his ex-wife, Abouk, who was asking for half of the wealth held by the footballer.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSurprisingly, Hakimi has no major capital, assets or investments to his name, making it impossible for the court to grant Abouk her demand, despite the player earning an estimated €1.2 million monthly salary from PSG.
This turnout of event is the first of its kind in the world of sports, where many women have cashed out through divorce because most of the sportsmen couldn’t keep it in their pants when their wives are not around them.
While it currently seems like Hakimi is the only sportsman that will leave a divorce table without losing a dime in a settlement, there are many sportsmen who can’t say the same for themselves.
Prime Business Africa collated household names in the world of sports that lost millions of dollars and assets in divorce settlement below.
List of sportsmen that lost millions to divorce settlement
Michael Jordan
Divorce wasn’t good for Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player in the NBA. Jordan, during his days on the basketball court, sealed lucrative deals that made him one of the richest active sportsmen.
Jordan played 16 seasons, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was named the MVP in all the finals and was the NBA Most Valuable Player five times.
The popularity of the 14-time All-Star player on the court led to his business brand, Air Jordan, becoming one of the most successful sports footwear, enabling the basketballer to rake in billions of dollars.
He lost $168 million from this pile of cash and investments to his wife, Juanita Vanoy, after she filed for divorce to end their 22 years of marriage due to his affair with a lounge singer, Karla Knafel.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods was another king in his own sport, cashing out with every hole he filled up in Golf. He was so good he dominated the sport for nine years straight, between 2000 and 2009.
This domination came with 82 PGA victories that earned Tiger a whopping sum in tournament fees and endorsement deals, making him one of the wealthiest men in the sport.
But his inability to stay faithful to his wife, Elin Nordegren, cost him $100 million, as she filed for separation after reports of numerous sexual affairs.
Both the divorce and the sexual affairs reports almost ended his career, as companies pulled their endorsements due to the embarrassing headlines and bad publicity.
Terry Bollea
If you don’t know Terry Bollea, at least you know Hulk Hogan, a household name in the wrestling world. Hogan put many backs on the floor during his days in the ring.
He was a crowd puller, resulting in sold-out wrestling matches and his net worth grew alongside the number of backs he was able to put on the ground.
But the majority of this net worth was lost to Linda Bollea, who filed for divorce and accused him of taking her for granted during their marriage.
Their divorce settlement saw Bollea reportedly taking home 70 per cent of the couple’s liquid assets and 40 per cent ownership in their shared companies, according to The Sportster.
Also, out of the $10.41 million held in bank and investment accounts by the couple, Hogan’s wife pocketed $7.44 million.
Greg Norman
Another Golf star to make the list is Greg Norman, who spent six years consecutively as the number one golfer in the world – that is enough to describe how fat Norman’s bank account was during his active days.
Unlike Woods, he won 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors. He was able to successfully invest capital from his winnings, piling up his net worth to about $500 million.
But the end of his 25 years of marriage to Laura Andrassy saw his net worth decline, as she left the union with $103 million as a divorce settlement.
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson is a basketball legend in the NBA even though he didn’t win any championships in his career. Despite this, he was a player that attracted brands and endorsements.
His small stature didn’t stop him from being a four-time scoring champion. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies during his active years.
Within 15 years of his career, Iverson raked in an estimated $200 million from NBA contracts and endorsements, but he lost $3 million from this net worth after he and Turner Tawanna divorced.
She also got some assets, including a stake in Iverson’s Reebok endorsement deal. Although both of them have reunited.
Follow Us