Tiger Woods Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Tiger Woods’s net worth and career earnings?

Tiger Woods, an American professional golfer, boasts a net worth of $800 million. Since his professional debut in 1996, his career earnings exceed $1.8 billion, and when adjusted for inflation, they easily surpass $2 billion. He holds the title for the highest-earning golfer in history and was ranked as the top-earning celebrity globally for several years.

The list of accolades he has received is extensive, but highlights include:

• 15 professional major championships
• 82 victories on the PGA Tour
• 41 titles on the European Tour
• Five Masters Championships
• Record for the longest consecutive weeks ranked #1
• The lowest scoring average ever
• PGA Player of the Year honors received 11 times
• Induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021

Beginning to play golf at the age of two, by seven, Tiger was already showcasing his extraordinary golf talent on television. He continued to excel in golf through high school and college, and by the time he turned pro in 1996, it was clear that he was destined to be the competitor to beat in professional golf. Over the next decade, he dominated the sport, winning 10 PGA Player of the Year Awards. From 1999 to 2004, he held the World #1 ranking for an unprecedented 264 consecutive weeks and followed it with another 281 weeks from 2005 to 2010.

However, his personal life took a significant downturn. Following his father’s death in 2006, it was as if a storm had unleashed upon him. He faced the collapse of his marriage and family, lost numerous endorsement deals, and struggled for several years. While his golf skills remained impressive, his reputation suffered severe damage from which it has not fully recovered. Recently, there are signs that he may be regaining his footing, but the future remains uncertain.

Nike Deal and Notable Endorsement Earnings

By far, Tiger’s most substantial source of income outside of tournament earnings has been his sponsorship with Nike.

Making his professional debut on August 29, 1996, just 228 days later, he clinched The Masters title on April 13, 1997. Following his victory, the 21-year-old signed a 5-year deal with Nike worth $40 million and another 5-year contract with Titleist valued at $20 million.

A month later, on May 20, 1997, a day after winning the Byron Nelson Classic — his first tournament post-Masters — Tiger secured a 5-year, $30 million deal with American Express. This agreement, combined with his Nike, Titleist, and tournament winnings, propelled his career earnings to $100 million. Thus, it took him a mere 264 days after going pro to reach $100 million. For context, LeBron James’s initial Nike contract, signed in 2003, was worth $90 million over seven years.

In September 2000, Tiger inked his second endorsement contract with Nike, valued at $100 million spread across five years (equating to $20 million annually). Consequently, between 1997 and 2005, Tiger’s earnings from Nike alone amounted to $140 million, with total earnings from all endorsements during that span likely exceeding $200 million.

In 2005, Tiger and Nike extended their partnership with an 8-year agreement worth $320 million. Later, in 2013, they finalized what would become their last contract together, a 10-year deal worth $200 million.

On January 8, 2024, it was announced that Tiger and Nike had concluded their partnership. From his first contract in 1997 to the termination of their relationship, Tiger reportedly earned around $700 million from Nike.

Early Life

Eldrick

Tont “Tiger” Woods, born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, is the only child of Earl and Tida Woods. He has two half-brothers, Earl Jr. and Kevin, along with a half-sister, Royce, from his father’s previous marriage.

Originally from Thailand, Tiger’s mother has shared his background, which he describes as Cablinasian—a mix of Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian. His nickname, Tiger, comes from his father’s friend, Colonel Vuong Dang Phong, who was also referred to as Tiger. Growing up in Orange County, California, Tiger was introduced to golf by his father, Earl Woods, before he was two years old. Earl, an amateur golfer with a single-digit handicap, was one of the first African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University.

Amateur and College Career

In 1978, during an appearance on “The Mike Douglas Show,” Tiger competed in putting against comedian Bob Hope. At just three years old, he scored a 48 over nine holes, and by age five, he had already been featured in both “Golf Digest” and ABC’s “That’s Incredible!” At the age of six, Tiger won the Under Age 10 category of the Drive, Pitch, and Putt competition at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California. When he turned eight, he clinched victory in the 9–10 boys’ division at the Junior World Golf Championships, becoming the youngest participant to win. That same year, he broke 80 for the first time. Overall, Tiger triumphed at the Junior World Championships six times, with four consecutive victories from 1988 to 1991.

When he was 11 years old, Woods managed to outplay his father for the first time, and after that, Earl was unable to win any matches against him. As a 15-year-old student at Western High School in Anaheim, he became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion, a record that remained until 2010. In both 1990 and 1991, he was recognized as Southern California Amateur Player of the Year, and he earned the title of “Golf Digest” Junior Amateur Player of the Year in 1991. In 1992, Woods defended his title at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, making him the first two-time winner of that event. That same year, he played in the Nissan Los Angeles Open, which marked his entry into the PGA Tour. He garnered several accolades, such as being named the 1992 “Golf Digest” Amateur Player of the Year, the Golf World Player of the Year, and the “Golfweek” National Amateur of the Year.

The next year, Woods achieved his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur Championship title, a feat that still stands as the only three-time win in the event’s history. In 1994, he became the youngest individual to win the U.S. Amateur Championship, a record he maintained until 2008. Additionally, he played as part of the victorious American team at the 1994 Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Golf Team Championships. Upon graduation from high school in 1994, he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in his class.

Woods received significant recruiting attention from top college golf programs and ultimately opted for Stanford University, the reigning 1994 NCAA champions. He enrolled there in the fall of 1994 and won his first collegiate tournament, the 40th Annual William H. Tucker Invitational, that September. In 1995, he successfully defended his U.S. Amateur title at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island, while also being honored as Pac-10 Player of the Year, NCAA First Team All-American, and Stanford’s Male Freshman of the Year, an accolade representing all sports.

At just 19 years old, Woods took part in his inaugural PGA Tour major,

The only amateur to make the cut at the 1995 Masters, he tied for 41st; two years later, he would triumph in the tournament by 12 strokes. At the age of 20 in 1996, he became the first golfer to claim three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles along with the NCAA individual golf championship. After two years in college, he decided to turn professional in golf.

Professional Career

In August 1996, at the age of 20, Woods turned professional and promptly signed extremely lucrative endorsement deals with Nike and Titleist, which were recognized as the most valuable endorsement contracts in golf history at the time. He was honored as the 1996 Sportsman of the Year by “Sports Illustrated” and was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. On April 13, 1997, he claimed his first major title, the Masters, winning by a record-breaking margin of 12 strokes and becoming the youngest winner of the tournament at just 21 years old. Two months later, he achieved the record for the fastest ascent to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Following a less impressive 1998, Woods concluded the 1999 season with eight victories, including the PGA Championship.

From 2000 to 2010, Woods established himself as an unstoppable force in golf. He held the title of the top-ranked golfer globally from August 1999 to September 2004 for 264 weeks, and again from June 2005 to October 2010 for an additional 281 weeks. In this period, he captured 13 major championships.

The next decade of Woods’ career was characterized by comebacks from injuries and personal challenges. In November 2011, he fell to the rank of number 58 in world rankings, but he made a return to the No. 1 spot between March 2013 and May 2014. Nonetheless, injuries necessitated four back surgeries from 2014 to 2017. Woods participated in only one tournament from August 2015 until January 2018 and subsequently dropped out of the list of the world’s top 1,000 golfers. Upon returning to regular competition, he gradually climbed back to the top, winning his first tournament in five years at the Tour Championship in September 2018 and clinching his first major championship in 11 years at the Masters in 2019. In 2022, Woods made his comeback by participating in the Masters Tournament, the first professional event since his 2021 car accident. He made the cut, finishing in 47th place at 13-over par, trailing the winner Scottie Scheffler by 23 shots.

Woods has set multiple golf records, being the player with the most consecutive weeks at number one and the overall highest total weeks as any golfer in history. He has received the PGA Player of the Year award an unprecedented 11 times and has also won the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest adjusted scoring average eight times—a record. He holds the distinction of leading the money list for ten different seasons and has won 15 major championships along with 82 events on the PGA Tour. Woods leads all active golfers in terms of both career major championship wins and career PGA Tour victories. He is the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam and the second golfer ever (after Jack Nicklaus) to achieve a career Grand Slam three times. He has also won 18 World Golf Championships and was a part of the victorious American team during the 1999 Ryder Cup. In May 2019, Woods received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, making him the fourth golfer to be honored in such a way.

Personal Life

In 2001, Woods encountered Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model and daughter of former migration minister Barbro Holmberg and radio journalist Thomas Nordegren, at The Open Championship. She was employed as an au pair by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik. Their engagement took place in November 2003, leading to their marriage on October 5, 2004, at the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados. They resided in Isleworth, a neighborhood in Windermere, Florida, near Orlando. Their first child, a daughter named Sam Alexis Woods, was born in 2007; Woods picked the name since his father used to call him Sam. Their son, Charlie Axel Woods, followed in 2009.

From December 2009 until early April 2010, Woods took a voluntary break from professional golf to address marital problems with Elin. He later confessed to multiple affairs, resulting in their divorce on August 23, 2010.

On March 18, 2013, Woods made it public that he was in a relationship with Olympic gold medalist skier Lindsey Vonn, though they parted ways in May 2015. He was then involved with stylist Kristin Smith from November 2016 until August 2017. In November 2017, Woods revealed he was dating restaurant manager Erica Herman, following speculation that began the previous month. However, in 2023, she filed a lawsuit against Woods concerning a non-disclosure agreement, claiming entitlement to $30 million after employees of Woods’ trust barred her from their residence and removed her belongings.

On May 29, 2017, Woods was arrested by the Jupiter Police Department near his home on Jupiter Island, Florida, around 3:00 am EDT for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He had been found asleep in his stationary car, which was idling in a traffic lane. Later, he explained that he had taken prescription medications and was unaware of their potential interactions. On July 3, 2017, Woods tweeted about completing an intensive out-of-state program to address an unspecified issue. During his arraignment on August 9, 2017, his lawyer, Douglas Duncan, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, and Woods agreed to enroll in a first-time DUI offender program, with another court appearance set for October 25. At a hearing on October 27, 2017, he pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was sentenced to a year of probation, a $250 fine, 50 hours of community service, and regular drug testing. During his probation, consumption of alcohol was prohibited; any violation would result in a 90-day jail sentence and an additional fine of $500.

In February 2021, Woods was involved in a serious car accident when his vehicle rolled over while he was driving north on Hawthorne Boulevard in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Investigations revealed that he was driving over 80 mph prior to the incident, resulting in multiple leg injuries that necessitated surgery.

Tiger Woods Net Worth – How It Breaks Down

The primary source of Tiger’s income originates from both winning tournaments and product endorsements. Since his turn to professional golf in 1996, he has amassed $118 million from his on-course success (including the $2.07 million prize from the 2019 Masters). This figure represents merely 7.6% of his overall career earnings. Similar to other dominant sports figures like Michael Jordan and Lebron James, the major portion of Tiger’s wealth is derived from endorsements. Approximately 92.4% of his total career earnings, which is around $1.6 billion, comes from partnerships with brands like Nike, Gatorade, American Express, Asahi, General Mills (Wheaties), Golf Digest, Rolex, Gillette, Accenture, Tag Heuer, AT&T, EA Sports, NetJets, Upper Deck, TLC Laser Eye Centers, and Buick.

For Woods, Gatorade created a specialized drink called “Gatorade Tiger.” The sponsorship deal with Gatorade was valued at $100 million over five years. At one point, Tiger earned $20 million annually endorsing Gillette alongside fellow sports icons Roger Federer and Thierry Henry. Tiger can charge $10 million for designing golf courses globally and can make as much as $1.5 million just for attending a golf tournament.

Real Estate and Other Assets

Following his separation and divorce from Elin, Tiger constructed a sprawling new estate along the ocean in Jupiter, Florida, encompassing 12 acres. Upon its completion, the estimated value of the home was $60 million. Presently, it is estimated to be worth between $75 and $100 million. The property boasts a practice golf course, an oxygen therapy room, and no fewer than four swimming pools, including a lap pool, dive pool, children’s pool, reflection pool, and a water fountain.

• He possesses a $25 million yacht named “Privacy,” where he sometimes spends the night during tournaments held near the water.
• His pension plan from the PGA Tour is valued at no less than $20 million.
• He owns a private jet, the Gulfstream G550, worth $54 million. In the past 15 years, Tiger has only flown commercially once, traveling from Los Angeles to Dubai in January 2017.
• Additionally, the aforementioned oceanfront property in Jupiter, Florida, is valued at a minimum of $75 million.
• Following the financial crisis of 2009 and a decline in his playing career, Tiger initiated a course design business that has kept him busy with projects globally.

Tiger Woods Career Earnings Year By Year

2016: total earnings of $34.61 million ($35.5 million from endorsements)

2017: total earnings of $43.3 million ($42 million from endorsements)

2018: total earnings of $36.1 million ($35.5 million from endorsements)

2019: $65 million (including $2.07 million from 2019 Masters victory)

2020: total of $62.3 million

2021: total of $73.5 million

2022: total of $68 million

Tiger Woods’ career earnings have reached a total of $1.8 billion as of now.

Marriage And Divorce Settlement With Elin Nordegren

In 2004, Tiger Woods wed Elin Nordegren. Their first child, a daughter named Sam Alexis Woods, was welcomed in 2007, followed by the birth of their son, Charlie Axel Woods, in 2009. The couple’s marriage faced a significant challenge in 2009 due to a scandal involving Tiger’s infidelity, which ultimately resulted in their divorce. The fallout from this controversy not only affected Tiger’s career but also harmed his sponsorship deals, leading to millions in lost potential earnings. As part of the divorce settlement, Tiger disbursed $100 million in assets, which included both cash and real estate.

Tiger Woods Net Worth Milestones

1995: $10,000 (prior to turning pro)

1997: $7 million (entered into his first contracts with Nike and Titleist)

1999: $40 million

2001: $50 million

2003: $100 million

2005: $250 million

2009: $500 million (career earnings exceeded $1 billion)

2010: $400 million (finalized divorce settlement)

2016: $700 million

2019: $800 million

In 2009, when his net worth was assessed at $500 million, Tiger ranked as the second-richest person of color in the United States, trailing behind Oprah Winfrey, who had a net worth of $2.5 billion at that time.