Tiger Woods is on pace to pass one billion dollars in career earnings by 2010, becoming the world's first billionaire to accumulate his fortune by playing sports, says Forbes magazine.
The 14-time major championship winner earned
$115-million in 2007 alone, said the American magazine which annually ranks the world's richest people with its Forbes' Celebrity 100 list.
David Beckham was the No 2 sportsman on the list with earnings in the region of $65-million.
"It will be an unprecedented occurrence," the magazine said.
"There are plenty of billionaires who have excelled at sports like Switzerland's richest man and champion sailor Ernesto Bertarelli.
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"But there are no billionaires who have accumulated their fortune by playing sports."
The magazine goes on to say that while tycoons like Bill Gates accumulated his wealth by holding a stake in a company with soaring profits, Woods is unique because his massive fortune was earned through pay cheques.
Woods has earned more than $750 million in endorsement deals in his career.
At 32, he has won 50 tournaments around the world, faster than any player and is closing in on Jack Nicklaus' long-standing record of 18 major championship wins. - Sapa-AFP
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This article was originally published on page 17 of Daily News on July 11, 2008
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