dyton mupawaenda
Serena Williams has earned a lot of money — on and off the court.
After almost 40 major tennis titles, four Olympic gold medals and almost US$100 million in prize money it may surprise some that most of her riches don’t come from tennis.
When you’re as successful as Williams was in tennis, the money inevitably follows you. And the American superstar built a US$340 million empire over the last 20 years to go with an incredible trophy haul.
Williams, in her illustrious career, won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic Gold medals, completed the calendar slam twice and won 14 majors with her sister Venus.
With 73 titles in total, Williams went on to earn an astonishing US$94.8 million in career prize money, no other women’s tennis player has earned more.
When it comes to endorsements, Williams — who retired in September 2022 — also had a knack for attracting huge sums. In 1998, when Williams was just 17 years old she inked a deal with Puma, making her $13 million in the first few years of her career.
In December 2003, she left the company to join Nike on an eight-year endorsement deal, worth up to US$55 million with performance incentives.
During her 27-year career, Williams also secured deals with some of the world’s biggest brands like Disney, Ford, Gatorade, and Gucci.
After retiring, Williams was the second-highest paid female athlete in the world, earning US$45 million but despite the eye-watering sums made from tennis, Williams’ off-court activity has taken her fortune through the roof.
Williams is now a powerhouse in venture capitalism and it has grown her net worth to US$340 million with smart business investments.
Her VC fund call is Serena Ventures and has invested in 85 companies, 14 of which have been “unicorn” companies, a term used to describe organisations that reach the billion dollar mark rapidly.
It’s rare for companies to be labelled as unicorn and it’s even more stunning that Williams has 14 of them in one portfolio.
Such companies include Impossible Foods, the plant-based food production company, and Masterclass, which is valued at US$2.75bn.
Alongside investing in start-ups, Williams has also invested in sports. She and sister Venus became minority shareholders in Miami Dolphins in 2009 — a franchise now valued at US$6.2bn, per Forbes. — talkSPORT.com/Sports Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter