David Beckham made more money than most Premier League stars last year
David Beckham hasn’t kicked a ball professionally in over three-and-a-half years, but he still manages to earn more than some of the biggest superstars in Europe.
According to records obtained by The Sun newspaper, the former Manchester United star’s company Footwork Productions – of which he is the sole shareholder – paid him dividends of £11.4 million ($14.2 million) in 2015. That means he earned over £220,000 ($274,000) a week without ever stepping onto a rectangle of grass:
After paying £2.3 million in taxes, his company reported profits of £9,142,639 according to company records released yesterday.
Footwork then paid Beckham a dividend of £8.72 million, an increase from £6.5 million in 2014.
The report, which was filed to Companies House added Beckham has paid himself dividends of a further £11.1 million this year.
Last week it was revealed that Manchester United are the highest paid team in world soccer, with an average yearly salary of £5.77M ($7M).
Beckham earned more than double that last year.
The former LA Galaxy man also earned more last year than the likes of Eden Hazard, Mesut Ozil, Raheem Sterling and Cesc Fabregas – all of whom have to get up and kick a ball every morning.
Only a handful of players worldwide made more than the former England captain.
The Sun also noted that these figures do not include Beckham’s earnings from shareholdings in other firms, so it is very likely he made enough to fill several Scrooge McDuck-style bank vaults. Forbes, in fact, estimates his 2015 earnings at $65 million.
Beckham’s significant earnings have come via lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of adidas, H&M and Haig Club whisky, plus numerous international real estate investments.
For some, apparently retirement isn’t all that bad.
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