25 Rich Athletes Who Went Broke

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1. Mike Tyson

1. Mike Tyson

Undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world, youngest man to ever win the WBC, WBA and IBF Heavyweight Titles. First man to win 12 of his first 19 fights in the first round by KO.
Estimated lifetime earnings: $300-400 million

Ring Magazine ranked Mike Tyson the #16th greatest fighter of all time–after he served 3 years in prison for rape. Once known as “The Baddest Man on the Planet” (he still might be), Tyson’s fall from grace included a sordid 20/20 interview in which his then-wife accused him of domestic violence, the death of his father-figure trainer, a nasty divorce, that federal rape charge, felony possession of drugs, a DUI, and a bloody ear incident.

At one point, Tyson was worth less that $700 dollars. But his situation has improved. He appears to be doing well in recovery for drug and alcohol problems. A movie about his life scheduled for release in 2009.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Drea Knufken is a freelance writer, editor, ghostwriter and content strategist. Her work has appeared in national publications including WIRED, Computerworld, National Geographic, Minyanville, Backpacker Magazine and others. For more information, please visit www.DreaKnufken.com. You can also find Drea via her blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Prev26 of 26Next

1. Mike Tyson

Written by Drea Knufken

Currently, I create and execute content- and PR strategies for clients, including thought leadership and messaging. I also ghostwrite and produce press releases, white papers, case studies and other collateral.