How much is Usain Bolt worth?
| Net Worth: | $80 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Sprinter |
| Date of Birth: | August 21, 1986 (age 36) |
| Country: | Jamaica |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.95 m) |
About Usain Bolt
Usain St. Leo Bolt is the world’s fastest man and a Jamaican former sprinter currently holding the world record for the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the 4×100 meters relay. Born on the 21st of August 1986, Usain is a son of grocers, Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt in rural Trelawny Parish in Jamaica.
Growing up, sports was always a passion or, should I say, an obsession for young Usain. He was particularly attracted to soccer, having taken a passionate interest in Real Madrid and Manchester United. He was also wildly enthusiastic about cricket that as a young boy, he would practise the sports using an orange and a banana-tree stump as a wicket. Up until now, Bolt still considers cricket his first love.
“When I was younger, I always wanted to impress, to be good for my country, to make them feel good, and sometimes that meant I didn’t focus on myself enough. I learned I had to put myself first. And it’s fine because I want for me the same thing that they want for me, which is to win.” Usain Bolt
As a kid, Usain took part in various sprinting competitions. At the 2002 world junior championships, he claimed his first world win, a gold for the 200-meter sprint. It was, however, not until he was in high school when his talent in athletics became apparent. His coaches quickly noticed that he had an exceptional athletic build and was really fast on the tracks, despite his height. With the right persuasion from them, Usain shifted his focus to sprinting.
Aged only 14, young Usain took part in his first high-school championship competitions and emerged with a silver medal in the 200-meter race.
Bolt wanted to play soccer, being enamored by Real Madrid and Manchester United. His school coach, however, encouraged him to take part in track and field where Bolt first showed his prowess at the 2002 world junior championships held at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. At only 15 years of age, Bolt won gold in the 200-meter race to become the youngest male junior champion to win at an event. Bolt went on the next year to reduce the world record by 20.13 seconds and at 17 years old, ran the 200-meter event in 19.93 seconds – the first teenager to run the 200-meter event under 20 seconds.
At his first Olympics in Athens, Greece, unfortunately, he did not qualify after the 200-meter heats as he injured his hamstrings. In the 2005 track-and-field world championships, he was placed last.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a phenomenon, just a great athlete.” Usain Bolt
Fresh from rest and training, he made second-place to snare silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2007 world championships. At the same world championships, he asked his coach to let him run the 100 meters which he finished in 10.03 seconds, his first professional race at the 100 meters event. The following year, Usain beat his own timing of the previous year to clock his best time at 9.76 seconds. In New York City, some weeks later, Bolt broke the world record with 9.72 seconds to defeat the then world champion, Tyson Gay.
In the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games, Bolt took home gold for three events simultaneously, the 100 meter, 200 meter and 4 x 100 meter relay. This was indeed a first for an athlete to win gold in 2 individual sprints in three consecutive Olympic Games. In the heats at these Olympic Games, Bolt was seen sprinting past his opponents, with time to turn around, wave to the crowds and still finish first.
A large percentage of Usain Bolt’s wealth comes from brand endorsement deals as well as appearance fees. In endorsement fees alone, Usain would make an estimated $30 million per year, with the most profitable deal from Puma which paid him an estimated $10 million per year until 2016. He is also the official ambassador of XM Forex trading.
Outside of brand endorsements, as well as has diversified investments of his own under his company known as the Bolt Mobility, a Miami beach-based company providing electric scooters. The Athletic star’s career started to really pay off well during his series of Olympic gold medal winnings which played the key role of making him famous worldwide. It is also worth mentioning that Usain was the world’s highest-paid track and field athlete.
Usain Bolt’s achievements so far have him placed as an 11-time world champion with a total of eight Olympic gold medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400×100 meter relay races. He is also the world record holder of both the 100 and 200-meter races at 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds both of which he set in the 2009 world championships in Berlin.
Bolt’s victories in three consecutive Summer Olympic Games namely the 2008, 2012, and the 2016 games made him the third athlete to ever complete a triple-triple. In his career, Usain has won many other awards including the Laureus Sportsman of the year, the IAAF Athlete of the year which he won twice, as well as the Track & Field Athlete of the year.
While talent has a major role to play in his success over the years, Usain Bolt’s success story is also largely attributed to constant practice, determination, and diligence. His hunger to prove that he is indeed the world’s fastest man has been his driving force and motivation throughout his entire career. Determined to show that height was not a limiting factor to speed, Bolt trained hard and proved that conventional wisdom wrong.
With an estimated net worth of $80 million, Bolt counts as one of the richest professional athletes. Bolt is also a formidable marketing machine for various brands like Puma and Gatorade, and also for his own company Bolt Mobility. His popularity and achievements make him one of the most sought after brand ambassadors, representing over 10 different brands. In 2018, Usain opened his third Track and Records restaurant in his homeland, Jamaica, and is poised to open many more in the UK and the US.
Summing-Up
In the professional sporting world where everyone is training to be the best, winning is certainly not easy. Usain Bolt’s journey has seen him defy many odds to become the world’s fastest man. For instance, Bolt revealed in his autobiography that he suffered from scoliosis, a condition that curved his spine to the right and made his right leg half an inch shorter than his left. As a result, his left leg is about14 percent longer than his right leg. Such asymmetry must have been a hindrance to Bolt, although experts have posited that it may have helped Bolt with his speed.
From the challenges he faced as a kid growing up in a village in the outskirts of Kingston, to the many injuries and conditions he has suffered while chasing his dreams, Bolt beat all that to get to where he is today. His is a life that has inspired people all over the world and where movies are made and books are written of him. Usain still remains an icon in the world of athletics despite having retired. The documentary I Am Bolt was released in 2016 and was very well received.
