Jack Nicklaus, widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time, has an estimated net worth of US$400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Nicklaus won 73 times on the PGA Tour and has a record 18 Major titles, but the main source of his wealth hasn’t come from his winnings on the course.
The Golden Bear officially retired from tournament golf in 2005, and his total professional winnings only amounted to $9,108,642.
His total prize money on the PGA Tour was $5,734,031, while he also earned $3,372,207 while playing on the Champions Tour.
However, he remains one of the richest people in the sport thanks to a range of other ventures, including investments, endorsements and course design.
In 2016, Forbes ranked Nicklaus as the fourth highest-paid athlete of all-time and reported his career earnings at $1.15 billion, citing his course design firm as the main source of his fortune. He reportedly made $26 million in 2015.
Nicklaus is the founder of Nicklaus Companies, which includes work in course design and real estate development, as well as the marketing and licensing of his lifestyle brands Jack Nicklaus and Golden Bear.
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His design company, Nicklaus Design, has created over 420 courses around the world in 45 countries and 40 US states.
He has also had a string of endorsements and brand partnerships throughout the years, including with companies like Perry Ellis, Rolex, Arizona Beverage Company and Terlato Wines. He has also licensed his name to golf video games.
Nicklaus has also written several books, including ‘Golf My Way’, regarded as one of the all-time classics of golf instruction, and his autobiography ‘Jack Nicklaus: My Story’.
Aside from his commercial ventures, Nicklaus has also given back to the community through his heavy involvement in philanthropy.
The Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, which he founded with his wife Barbara in 2004, has raised over $195 million for pediatric healthcare around the world.
Every year, Nicklaus hosts the Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour, which is held at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. The tournament is a signature event on the PGA Tour calendar, while also benefitting several charities.
