Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula 1 may have not been the best decision career-wise, but it sure was great financially. In the Sunday Times’ annual list of richest sportsmen, Schumi is currently number 2, after American golfer Tiger Woods, with $823 million in career earnings. Woods is only a bit more fortunate, at $869 million.
There are quite a few Formula 1 drivers in the list of highest-earning sportsmen, although their bank accounts are far less fat than the seven time world champion. At the top we have Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, each with a fortune of around $160 million. On the list for richest British sportspersons we find Lewis Hamilton holding $89m and Jenson Button $85m.
A quick look at the list shows that current Formula 1 drivers make a helluva lot more than the old generation. Jensen and Lewis for example are both young and have many more years left to strive in the sport, and yet they’re already richer than old folks like David Coulthard and Nigel Mansell, who are $80mil guys, or Sir Jackie Stewart who is worth $67m.
Of course in Formula 1 business no one’s richer than the 81-year-old boss Bernie Ecclestone, who has a net worth of over $4 billion. Although he blew most of it on women!