Tiger Woods set to be the first billionaire athlete
Despite his dodgy knee Tiger Woods, the US golfer, is set to become the first billionaire athlete, according to Forbes magazine.
Woods, who won the US Open last month and promptly announced he needed an operation on his left knee, is on track to exceed $1bn in career earnings by 2010 after earning $115 million in 2007, according to the American magazine which publishes an annual list of the world's richest people.
The calculation was based on Woods' estimated earnings in the annual rich list dating back to 1996, when he turned pro, and also credited the world number one golfer with annualised investment returns of 8%.
"Based on those criteria, we project Tiger Woods should join our list of the world's billionaires in 2011," said Forbes. "It will be an unprecedented occurrence."
Prize money accounts for about a tenth of his earnings with the rest coming from lucrative endorsement deals signed by companies like Nike, Buick and Gillette.
Sports drink maker Gatorade recently launched a new line of drinks called Gatorade Tiger.
The magazine said Woods would earn about $90m in endorsement contracts this year. Over the course of his career, he has earned more than $750m from such deals.
Woods is not playing again this season after undergoing knee surgery a few weeks ago.
The second richest athlete on the Forbes list is another golfer, Phil Mickelson, who is hardly rummaging for change in his golf bag with an annual earnings tally of $66.8m. Cleveland Cavaliers guard LeBron James ($42.6m), boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr ($42.4m) and LA Laker Kobe Bryant ($37.2m), the NBA's most valuable player, round out the American top five.
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