David Beckham might not be the richest person in the world, but he’s still one of the highest-paid sports personalities, alongside fellow footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, professional golfer Rory McIlroy, and Formula 1 great Lewis Hamilton.
The former Manchester United legend and his wife, fashion designer and former Spice Girl ‘Posh Spice’ Victoria Beckham, have a combined net worth of £500 million, according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2025. The couple also have individual Netflix documentaries to their names.
Beckham retired from his 20-year football career in 2013, but that doesn’t mean his time on the pitch has ended. He’s now the co-owner and president of American soccer club Inter Miami CF, which boasts eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi as its captain.
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David Beckham’s net worth as a footballer
David Beckham shot to fame in 1996 when the Manchester United midfielder scored a goal against Wimbledon from the halfway line. His skills made headlines and inspired the 2002 movie Bend It Like Beckham.
Over the next few years, he became highly sought-after on and off the pitch, with sponsorships and endorsements bringing in as much as his footballing salary. It is widely claimed that during his time at Manchester United, he was paid around £1.5 million (excluding bonuses) per season – six times what the average Premier League player earned.
By 1999, he was the second-highest-paid footballer in the world, according to The Guardian. The footballer’s career at Manchester United spanned more than two decades, starting when he joined the club as a youth trainee alongside Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes – popularly known as the Class of '92. He won six Premier League titles and lifted two FA Cups. In 2000, Beckham took over as the captain of the England team, a position he held for six years.
In 2003, Manchester United accepted a £25 million bid for Beckham from Real Madrid, where he went on to play for four years alongside other renowned footballers, including Zidane, Ronaldo and Figo, in a squad that became known as the “Galácticos”.
David Beckham becomes a brand
Beckham leveraged his fame and popularity to explore money-making avenues that extended far beyond the sporting arena.
In the 2023 Netflix documentary Beckham (produced by his creative agency Studio 99), he explained how he was one of the first footballers to make global brand and image-rights deals. However, his Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was famously unhappy with this approach. As “Brand Beckham”, his relationship with Victoria was parlayed into an especially lucrative commercial partnership.
Being an Adidas loyalist from the start of his career, it’s no wonder that Beckham landed a lifetime brand deal with the company in 2003 worth $160.8 million – one of the biggest sports sponsorship deals at that time.
His other big brand endorsements have included Calvin Klein, PepsiCo, Armani, Maserati, Stella Artois, and Samsung. In 2006, his legs were insured by Lloyd’s of London for a whopping £100 million.
Beckham also had a crucial role to play in the UK’s bid to host the 2012 London Olympics, although he wasn’t picked to play in that year’s football squad. The footballer carried the Olympic flame along the River Thames via speedboat to the opening ceremony.
What is Victoria Beckham’s net worth?
Victoria Beckham and her husband, David, have an estimated combined net worth of £500 million.
While much of the public sees the Beckhams as a powerhouse duo, Victoria’s celebrity status came in the 1990s – long before their relationship – thanks to her role as ‘Posh Spice’ in the iconic pop group, Spice Girls. After the group disbanded in 2001, Victoria released a self-titled solo album before pivoting to the fashion industry.
Over the years, she became a fixture in the luxury fashion world. She served as the British ambassador for Dolce and Gabbana and has walked the runway for designers like Roberto Cavalli. She has also graced the covers of top fashion publications, including W, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle.
By 2007, she was ranked as the 52nd richest woman in the UK, according to The Times.
A year later, she launched her eponymous fashion label, which won Designer Brand of the Year at the 2011 British Fashion Awards. The brand faced challenges, though. In 2018, the label was losing around £4,000 per day.
However, in 2019, she launched her own beauty brand, Victoria Beckham Beauty, which appears to be paying off. According to The Times, the brand generated revenues of up to £89 million last year. The Beckhams reportedly own 35% stake in the business, worth roughly £130 million.
Beyond her business portfolio, Victoria also boasts an extensive Hermès Birkin handbag collection.
Fast forward to October 2025, nearly two years after David Beckham’s Netflix documentary, Victoria is stepping into the spotlight with her own Netflix docuseries. It traces her two decades in the music and fashion industry, and industry heavyweights like Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace and Tom Ford make an appearance.
The retired footballer
In 2013, Beckham hung up his boots. Within his first year of retiring, he reportedly made $75 million, his highest-ever annual earnings (his previous high was $51 million in 2012).
He now has multiple income streams, including properties in Miami, London and the Cotswolds, and football clubs.
Beckham purchased Inter Miami CF for $25 million in 2007. Now, the team is valued at around $1.2 billion, which means that Beckham’s 26% stake is worth a whopping $312 million.
This has helped elevate Beckham’s business career to new heights. He has a film production company called Studio 99, and is entering the health market by investing in the supplement business while trying his hand at fashion design and drinks.
Beckham also owns a stake in Authentic Brands, the parent company of brands such as Reebok, Nautica and Juicy Couture, and the magazine Sports Illustrated. Authentic Brands owns the rights to the estates of celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali. The business reported record results for 2024, while profits rose to 24%, according to Forbes.
In 2021, Beckham signed a £150 million 10-year deal with Qatar to be the country’s ambassador, as well as the face of the 2022 World Cup. It’s one of his biggest but most controversial deals to date, mainly due to the country’s human rights record.
Beckham is a founding member of Malaria No More UK. He also set up an appeal with his wife, Victoria, to support Ukrainians through his 7 Fund. The footballer supports Help for Heroes and is a UNICEF Ambassador for his work on children's rights.
Beckham was also included in the Time 100 Philanthropy 2025 list that honours the most influential leaders in philanthropy.
He is now the fifth Manchester United player to be knighted, and comes more than two decades after he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003.
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