Forbesreports that golfer Tiger Woods is the first athlete to crack the $1 billion mark in earnings and endorsements. Forbes says Tiger Woods had earned $895 million going into 2009.
Tiger Woods has been making history on and off the course since he joined the PGA Tour in 1996. First up was a record $40 million contract from Nike. The following year he won the Masters by a record 12 strokes, becoming the youngest winner ever and first black player to take the title. His career has been packed full of accomplishments, including major titles (14), annual money titles (9) and Player of the Year awards (9).
Now Woods can add one more accolade to his trophy case: the first athlete to earn $1 billion. Our calculations show that the $10 million bonus Woods earned winning this year's FedEx Cup title nudged him over the $1 billion mark in career earnings.
Michael Jordan is likely to be the next athlete billionaire according to Forbes. Jordan still makes $45 million annually, primarily from Nike. Forbes think he will pass the billion mark sometime in the next four to five years, which is probably sooner than any other athlete will reach it.