Bale tops wealthiest young sports star list
WALES football phenomenon Gareth Bale is the wealthiest active sports star aged 30 or under, according to figures which have just been revealed in the Sunday Times Rich List.
The Real Madrid winger has seen his fortune shoot by £20m to £114m in the Spanish capital, meaning he now tops the publication’s Young Rich List packed full of household names.
Bale, who was second in the category last year behind now 31-year-old Rory McIlroy, has seen his stock rise from £94m in 2019, despite a less-than-ideal campaign for Los Blancos which has seen him consistently linked with moves away.
Bale, 30, pipped boxing superstar and heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua (£107m), whose wealth rose dramatically from £58m last year, and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba (£50m).
The Wales international has most recently been linked with a move to Premier League side Newcastle, should the controversial £300m Saudi takeover bid come to fruition.
In the main Rich List category, Lewis Hamilton was named the most affluent active sports star in history with a staggering £224m fortune.
The British Formula 1 phenomenon saw his personal wealth rise by £37m over the last year, largely owing to his money-spinning contract with Mercedes.
Hamilton has surpassed the whopping £200m mark which was the original benchmark set by former Manchester United and
Real Madrid star David Beckham when he retired back in 2013.
McIlroy is the only other sports star on the Sunday Times
Rich List, with his wealth having grown by £32m to
£170m since 2019 thanks to his return to form on the course and a clutch of lucrative sponsorship deals.