Digg it!They strategize game plays, they study competition, they practice till they achieve perfection, and they don’t stop until they are the best. By all accounts, athletes have all it takes to succeed in business. Yet, there are very few who actually do.
Below are some of them.
10. Kelly Slater
About The Athlete
Slater is considered the most successful professional surfer in history of the sport. He is a ten time ASO World Chamption which includes a 5-year winning streak. He is the youngest (at age 20) and the oldest (at age 38) to win the title.
About The Businessman
Kelly Slater has lent his name to brands like Quicksilver and he exclusively rides Channel Islands surfboards equipped with his own signature series of FCS fins. But his breakthrough is in pioneering wave generation and control technologies for an authentic world class surfing experience indoors. The Kelly Slater Wave Company will be developing engineering techiques that will allow surfers to “rent” overhead waves for half an hour.
9. Shaun White
About The Athlete
For someone who had to go through two open heart surgeries before reaching the age of one, Shaun White isn’t dong so bad. He is an American professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
About The Businessman
Fast Company, an innovative business magazine published in the US wrote that the business the Shaun White brand is worth in the $150 billion youth market. I know that many people will argue that most his money is just endorsement and not real business. However, he co-owns most of his brands with 50% control on designs, manufacturing, and marketing.
8. Kobe Bryant
About The Athlete
5 rings. Enough said.
About The Businessman
He owns the Kobe Basketball Academy. It is a non-profit organization that aims to give free basketball clinic to children around the US. Side by side this, he runs the Kobe Basketball Academy Collection. Aside from his partnership with Nike, Kobe also comes out with his line of clothing under the label KB24. It is marketed by Nike.
7. Tiger Woods
About The Athlete
I wonder if he has more mistresses than trophies.
Woods has won 14 professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player (Jack Nicklaus leads with 18), and 71 PGA Tour events, third all time. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour.
About The Businessman
He has his own golf course design company, Tiger Woods Design. His first project is in the United Arab Emirates, the Tiger Woods Dubai. The Cliffs at High Carolina. Woods will also design a golf course in Mexico. This will be his first oceanfront course. It will be called Punta Brava, which will be located by Ensenada, Baja California.
6. Manny Pacquiao
About The Athlete
He is the only boxer to win eight belts in eight different divisions and has been dubbed as the greatest pound of pound boxer of all time.
About The Businessman
Aside from being one of the endorsers of Nike, Manny Pacquaio runs a cafe, a cafe, a mall, a printing company, and a resort in his home country, Philippines.
If you liked this list you should also check out:
- Top 10 Successful Celebrity Entrepreneurs
- Top 10 Celebrities More Successful Than Their Parents
- Top 10 Athlete Girlfriends/Wives with Solid Careers
- Top 10 Most Successful Failures
- Top 10 Sports Icons
There are quite a few people you’ve missed out. Kobe Bryant could have made this list. He’s done pretty well with his basketball shoes and clothing line.