Ali’s £44k a month ‘guilt cash to family’

MUHAMMAD Ali used to pay out £44,000 a month in expenses to his ever expanding family to atone for his philandering ways, according to one of his closest friends.

Tim Shanahan said the boxer – who died on Friday aged 74 – felt guilty about his affairs and having two children out of wedlock so ‘never said no’ when relatives asked him for cash.

Despite being a hero in the ring, ‘the world’s greatest fighter hated confrontation’ so would empty his wallet when asked – even for a stranger.

Mr Shanahan writes in his memoir Running with the Champ: My Forty Year Friendship with Muhammad Ali, that Ali’s cronies took full advantage of this and plundered his bank account whilst charging onlookers £3 to see him train and selling T-shirts with his face on them.

They spent £1.7million that should have gone to pay his taxes and looted £14million from a sports company set up in his name, according to the book which was released last month.

Mr Shanahan says the investments Ali was advised on were also mostly ‘disasters’. Estimates for the boxer’s total career earnings range from £27million to £55million.

He was married four times and had seven daughters and two sons, though others may now try to claim he was their father to try and get a slice of his wealth.