How Usain Bolt makes and spends his fortune
Lauren Weymouth
11 August 2017
The gold lifestyle of the world's fastest man
The world’s fastest man retires from the running track after the London 2017 World Championships. But Usain Bolt’s moneymaking isn’t over just yet; in fact it’s only just beginning. We take a look at the ways Jamaica’s sprinting champion makes his millions on and off the track, and how he spends them.
Fast running, fast cash
Usain Bolt is worth over $61 million (£47m), according to Forbes, and is estimated to be the 32nd highest-earning athlete on the planet.
Leading the race
Just to put that into perspective, according to Forbes, Bolt earned around $30 million (£23m) during the 2016 Olympic year, while the average athlete in the US usually earns around $17,000 (£13,000) a year.
Endorsements
While his annual income on the track sits at just $2.47 million (£1.9m) (the lower end of the earnings scale on the Forbes rich list, believe it or not), his endorsements make him around $30 million (£23m).
In high demand
Among the companies to endorse the athlete are Gatorade, Hublot, Virgin Media, Visa and Nissan Motors. But his biggest deal is with Puma, which will be providing Bolt with an extra $10.4 million (£8m) a year as he’s been elected as the global ambassador for the brand until 2025. Expect more endorsements to follow.
Becoming a brand
Gatorade, notably, was a large contribution to Bolt’s empire. It branded a lemon-flavoured soft drink as ‘Gatorade Bolt’, and marketed it as being used by the athlete.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media has also had a particularly close relationship with Bolt, releasing an ad that has received almost three million page views on YouTube alone. The deal was signed after Beijing in 2008, and Bolt has been the face of the brand since.
Diamond League
Another chunk of Bolt’s income comes from the Diamond League. The winner of an individual Diamond League race receives just under $10,400 (£8,000). But Bolt has managed to win it 23 times, as well as winning the overall Diamond League title once, bringing his total Diamond League income up to about $274,000 (£210,000).
Other track winnings
His gold studded boots have also won him a significant income from other races, such as the IAAF World Championships, where a gold medal is worth $60,500 (£46,500). A silver is also worth £30,000 (£23,000) and a world record is worth $100,800 (£77,500). Obviously Bolt only aims for the best, so he has 11 golds to his name, one silver (who would’ve thought it?) and two individual and relay world records, racking up a total of $955,000 (£734,400).
Making an appearance
Due to popular demand, Bolt makes a lot of his money from making public appearances, charging fees up to $351,000 (£270,000). The 2010 Penn Relays in Philadelphia reportedly had the highest attendance in the event’s history due to Bolt’s appearance, with over 50,000 spectators.
Ticket sales
Of course entry to these events costs money. But with the likes of Bolt running, the price per seat can soar up to $1,180 (£900), possibly even more for Olympic finals. So although the money isn’t directly going to Bolt, his super-speedy feet are making event organisers millions.
An entrepreneur
Bolt also launched an app called ‘Bolt!’, which flew up towards the top of the UK’s top free apps in 2012. The game allows users to steer a character resembling Bolt through a number of challenges, ultimately unlocking faster speeds as they reach higher levels. It’s unknown quite how much the star has made from the app, but as it reached number one and number two in the Jamaican and UK charts respectively, we’d imagine it has done pretty well.
Temple Run
Although you probably can’t imagine running at such lightning-bolt speeds, you can ‘buy’ Bolt, as a character on the game Temple Run for $0.99. He’s not available for coins, though, so you have to just buy him as a straight-out purchase. Inevitably his character grants you a speed boost and allows you to catch more coins. The game has been downloaded more than a billion times, according to Forbes.
A restaurant of his own
As another little sideline, Bolt set up a restaurant in Jamaica called ‘Tracks and Records’. Brilliant pun aside, the music and sport bar is also a pretty popular place for locals. The restaurant consists of a Jamaican-infused menu, multiple bar and lounge areas and a 10-foot-wide screen, which of course shows Bolt’s races – among many others – live.
His story
Like most athletes, in 2014 Bolt released his own autobiography explaining his athletic and personal story, called Faster than Lightning. The book, which sells on Amazon for $13 (£9.99), is listed on the site as a number one bestseller, so it would seem he’s made a bit of extra cash from this sideline too!
Wild parties
Of course he likes to spend some of this cash. The Olympic star is well-known for hosting a number of wild parties at his five-bedroom home in Kingston – much to the bemusement of his neighbours.
Drinks
And his partying isn't just confined to his home. In 2015 the athlete reportedly spent $13,000 (£10,000) on vodka in a Mayfair nightclub and left without paying. Don’t worry though, it was just a mistake, he went back to settle up the next day when he realised what had happened.
A need for speed
It would also probably make sense that the fastest man in the world enjoys as much speed on the road as he does on the track. One of his most extravagant purchases has to be his $104,000 (£80,000 (black Nissan GT-R). He was also gifted a gold version after winning three gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics.
His home life
While he enjoys a lavish lifestyle and crazy parties, Bolt also spends a lot of time and money at home. He recently spent money renovating his mansion in Jamaica, close to the track club where he trains, but it is unknown just how much the renovation cost.
Holiday home
But he’s not always at home. Back in 2009, Bolt bought his own holiday home in Rum Cay in the Bahamas for an unknown price. Buying property in this area is seemingly a trend among sprinters, as Carl Lewis, the US Olympic icon who was previously titled the fastest man in the world, also owns land on the island.
Giving it back
The world’s fastest also likes to give a lot of his money back. As well as renovating his home, Bolt spent $4 million (£3m) on a renovation to a local health centre using the proceeds he made from one of his biggest parties.
Promoting his sport
He also gave $1.7 million (£1.3m) in 2015 to his former high school, along with a load of soccer and cricket gear, to help promote the inclusion of sports in the school day. Bolt has now been providing the school with track and field equipment since he signed an endorsement deal with Puma back in 2002.
Sharing his wealth
Aside from plugging money into his own school, some of his income has been spent on the opening of a multi-sport playing field in Jamaica and been put towards funds for pediatric cardiac surgery for children. He has also partnered with Samsung to provide photography workshops to students.
A furry friend
With a fondness for the world’s fastest animal, the world’s fastest human decided to pay over $13,000 (£10,000) to formally adopt an abandoned cheetah cub – now named Lightning Bolt – in Nairobi in 2009. Every year since, Bolt has been paying $3,000 (£2,300) to cover its upkeep.
McDonald's
If you’re a wannabe athlete but can’t put down the Big Macs, then don’t worry, there’s still hope. After celebrating his ‘triple-triple’ at the 2016 Olympics, Bolt spent some of his riches on his guiltiest pleasure: McDonald’s chicken nuggets. He also famously ate 1,000 chicken nuggets during the Beijing Olympics in 2008. So it’s amazing that McDonald’s is yet to lay out the next endorsement deal – keep up Ronald.
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