Tiger Woods Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Tiger Woods’s net worth and career earnings?

Tiger Woods, an American professional golfer, possesses a net worth of $800 million. His career earnings, which have surpassed $1.8 billion since he turned pro in 1996, easily adjust for inflation to exceed $2 billion. He holds the record for the highest earnings by a golfer in history and topped the list of the highest-earning celebrities globally for many years.

The numerous accolades he has garnered are too extensive to detail fully, but key highlights include:

• 15 professional major tournaments
• 82 PGA Tour victories
• 41 European tour victories
• Five Masters championships
• He has maintained the #1 ranking for more consecutive weeks than any other player
• He holds the all-time lowest scoring average
• He has been named PGA Player of the Year 11 times
• Induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021

Tiger Woods started golfing at age two and was already making appearances on television showcases demonstrating his extraordinary skills by age seven. He continued to hone his game throughout high school and college, and by the time he turned professional in 1996, it was clear he would quickly become the golfer to beat. Over the following decade, he won virtually every tournament, including ten PGA Player of the Year Awards. From 1999 to 2004, he held the World #1 ranking for an unprecedented 264 consecutive weeks, followed by an additional 281 weeks from 2005 to 2010.

However, his personal life experienced a significant decline. Following the passing of his father in 2006, it was as if chaos unleashed itself. He faced the breakdown of his marriage and family, lost a multitude of endorsement deals, and underwent a tumultuous period. While his performance on the golf course remained strong, his reputation suffered greatly and has yet to fully recover. Recently, he appears to be regaining some stability, but whether this trend will continue remains to be seen.

Nike Deal and Notable Endorsement Earnings

Aside from his tournament winnings, Tiger’s Nike endorsement stands out as BY FAR the most significant source of income throughout his professional career.

Making his professional debut on August 29, 1996, Tiger claimed The Masters title just 228 days later, on April 13, 1997. Following this victory, the 21-year-old athlete signed a five-year deal worth $40 million with Nike, as well as a five-year $20 million contract with Titleist.

Approximately one month later, on May 20, 1997, after winning the Byron Nelson Classic (his first tournament after becoming the youngest player to win The Masters), Tiger secured a five-year $30 million agreement with American Express. This deal, along with his NCAA wins with Nike and Titleist, pushed his career earnings to $100 million. Thus, it took Tiger only eight months (264 days) post-professional debut to reach this milestone. For perspective, LeBron James’ initial Nike deal, inked in 2003, was valued at $90 million over seven years.

In September 2000, Tiger secured his second endorsement deal with Nike, worth $100 million for five years ($20 million annually). Thus, from 1997 to 2005, Tiger accumulated $140 million from Nike alone, with total earnings over that span likely exceeding $200 million from all sponsorships.

In 2005, Tiger and Nike renewed their partnership with an eight-year contract worth $320 million. Finally, in 2013, they inked their last agreement, a ten-year, $200 million deal.

On January 8, 2024, Tiger and Nike announced the end of their partnership. Over the duration of their collaboration from 1997 to this announcement, Tiger reportedly earned about $700 million from Nike.

Early Life

Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods, born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, is the son of Earl and Tida Woods. He is their sole child but has two half-brothers, Earl Jr. and Kevin, and a half-sister, Royce, from his father’s prior marriage.

Tiger’s mother hails from Thailand. Woods has described his ethnicity as “Cablinasian,” representing Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian heritage. His nickname, Tiger, was in tribute to his father’s friend, Colonel Vuong Dang Phong, who went by the same name. Raised in Orange County, California, Tiger was introduced to golf before his second birthday by his father, who was a single-digit handicap amateur golfer and one of the pioneering African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University.

Amateur and College Career

During a television appearance on “The Mike Douglas Show” in 1978, Tiger showcased his golfing prowess by putting against comedian Bob Hope. By the age of three, he recorded a score of 48 over nine holes, and at five, he featured in “Golf Digest” and on ABC’s “That’s Incredible!” At six, he triumphed in the Under Age 10 section of the Drive, Pitch, and Putt competition at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California. At eight, he dominated the 9–10 boys’ event at the Junior World Golf Championships, which was the youngest age group available, breaking 80 for the first time that same year. Tiger collected the Junior World Championships title six times, including four consecutive victories from 1988 to 1991.

At the age of 11, Woods bested his father in golf, a feat Earl Woods, who gave it his all, never achieved after that point. While attending Western High School in Anaheim at 15, Tiger became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion, a record that stood until 2010. He gained recognition as Southern California Amateur Player of the Year in both 1990 and 1991, and in 1991 he was honored as “Golf Digest” Junior Amateur Player of the Year. By 1992, Woods repeated as U.S. Junior Amateur Championship champion, an achievement that made him the first two-time winner of that title. That same year marked his first participation in a PGA Tour event at the Nissan Los Angeles Open. He was acknowledged as the 1992 “Golf Digest” Amateur Player of the Year, Golf World Player of the Year, and the “Golfweek” National Amateur of the Year.

In the subsequent year, Woods claimed his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, affirming his status as the sole three-time winner of this event. By 1994, he earned the title of the youngest U.S. Amateur Championship victor, a record he held until 2008. He played for the winning American team in the 1994 Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Golf Team Championships. Upon graduating high school in 1994, he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by his peers.

He was heavily pursued by leading college golf programs but chose Stanford University, then reigning NCAA champions in 1994. Enrolling in the fall of 1994, Tiger won his first collegiate competition at the 40th Annual William H. Tucker Invitational that September. In 1995, he successfully defended his U.S. Amateur title at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island and was named Pac-10 Player of the Year, NCAA First Team All-American, and Stanford’s Male Freshman of the Year (a distinction across all sports).

At 19, Woods participated in the 1995 Masters, where he tied for 41st as the sole amateur to make the cut. Just two years later, he claimed victory in that very tournament, winning by 12 strokes. At the age of 20 in 1996, he became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and the individual NCAA golf championship, subsequently leaving college after two years to pursue a professional golf career.

Professional Career

Turning pro in August 1996 at the age of 20, Woods quickly secured advertising contracts with Nike and Titleist, which stood out as the most lucrative endorsements in the history of golf at that point. In 1996, he was honored as “Sports Illustrated’s” Sportsman of the Year and named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. His first major victory came on April 13, 1997, when he dominated the Masters, winning by 12 strokes and becoming the youngest champion of the tournament at 21 years old. Within two months, he broke records by climbing to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings at an unprecedented pace. After a disappointing 1998 season, Woods bounced back in 1999 with eight wins, including the PGA Championship.

From 2000 to 2010, Woods established himself as the dominant player in the sport. He held the title of top-ranked golfer globally from August 1999 until September 2004 (a total of 264 weeks) and then again from June 2005 to October 2010 (spanning 281 weeks). During this period, he achieved 13 victories in major championships.

The subsequent decade of Woods’ career revolved around comebacks from personal challenges and injuries. After dropping to number 58 in the world rankings in November 2011, he reclaimed the No. 1 spot between March 2013 and May 2014. Unfortunately, a series of injuries led him to undergo four back surgeries from 2014 to 2017. Between August 2015 and January 2018, he participated in only a single tournament and fell off the list of the world’s top 1,000 golfers. Upon returning to competitive golf, he made significant progress, clinching his first tournament victory in five years at the Tour Championship in September 2018 and his first major title in 11 years at the 2019 Masters. In 2022, Woods participated in his first professional tournament post his 2021 car accident in the Masters Tournament, finishing 47th with a score of 13-over par, trailing 23 shots behind the winner, Scottie Scheffler.

In terms of golf records, Woods has achieved several remarkable feats. He holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at number one and the highest total number of weeks as the top golfer in history. Additionally, he has received the PGA Player of the Year award an impressive 11 times and has won the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest adjusted scoring average eight times. He leads the money list for ten different seasons, has 15 professional major golf championships under his belt, and 82 PGA Tour victories. Currently, Woods tops the list of active golfers for both career major wins and career PGA Tour victories. He is noted as the youngest golfer to complete the career Grand Slam and is the second individual (after Jack Nicklaus) to achieve this feat three times. Furthermore, Woods has won 18 World Golf Championships and was a key member of the American team that triumphed in the 1999 Ryder Cup. In May 2019, he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, becoming the fourth golfer to receive this prestigious honor.

Personal Life

During The Open Championship in 2001, Woods met Elin Nordegren, a Swedish former model and the daughter of Barbro Holmberg, a former minister of migration and radio journalist Thomas Nordegren. She was employed by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik as an au pair. The couple got engaged in November 2003 and tied the knot on October 5, 2004, at the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados. They resided in Isleworth, a community situated in Windermere, a suburb of Orlando, Florida. Woods and Nordegren welcomed their first child, a daughter named Sam Alexis Woods, in 2007, chosen because it was a name his father affectionately used for him. Their son, Charlie Axel Woods, was born in 2009.

Woods took a self-imposed break from professional golf from December 2009 until early April 2010 in an effort to mend marital struggles with Elin. He admitted to several infidelities, leading to their divorce on August 23, 2010.

On March 18, 2013, Woods revealed that he was dating Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn, but they separated in May 2015. From November 2016 until August 2017, Woods was involved with stylist Kristin Smith. Woods made headlines in November 2017 when he confirmed his relationship with restaurant manager Erica Herman, following the swirling speculation about their connection the previous month. However, in 2023, she initiated legal proceedings against Woods regarding a non-disclosure agreement, claiming she deserved $30 million after being locked out of their shared residence and having her belongings removed by staff associated with Woods’ trust.

On May 29, 2017, Woods was apprehended by the Jupiter Police Department around 3:00 am EDT near his home in Jupiter Island, Florida, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was discovered asleep in his car, which was idling in a traffic lane. Woods later stated that he was on prescription medications and was unaware of the potential interactions. On July 3, 2017, Woods tweeted about having completed an intensive out-of-state program to address an unspecified concern. During his arraignment on August 9, 2017, Woods’ attorney, Douglas Duncan, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. He then agreed to join a first-time DUI offender program with a follow-up arraignment scheduled for October 25. At a hearing on October 27, 2017, Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He was sentenced to a year of probation, fined $250, and required to complete 50 hours of community service and regular drug tests. He was prohibited from consuming alcohol during this probation period, with a possible 90-day jail sentence and an extra $500 fine for violations.

Tiger Woods faced a serious car accident in February 2021 when his vehicle rolled over while he was driving north along Hawthorne Boulevard in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The investigation indicated that Woods was traveling over 80 mph before the crash, resulting in multiple leg injuries that required surgical intervention.

Tiger Woods Net Worth – How It Breaks Down

The primary source of Tiger’s income comes from winning tournaments and product endorsements. Since turning professional in 1996, he has accumulated $118 million through his performance on the golf course (including $2.07 million from the 2019 Masters). This accounts for approximately 7.6% of his total career earnings thus far. Following a pattern seen with other top athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, the vast majority of Tiger’s wealth arises from endorsements. An estimated 92.4% of his career earnings, which amounts to about $1.6 billion, comes from partnerships with brands such as Nike, Gatorade, American Express, Asahi, General Mills (Wheaties), Golf Digest, Rolex, Gillette, Accenture, Tag Heuer, AT&T, EA Sports, NetJets, Upper Deck, TLC Laser Eye Centers, and Buick.

For Woods, Gatorade created a custom-branded beverage, known as “Gatorade Tiger,” with the deal valued at $100 million over five years. At one point, he received $20 million per year for endorsing Gillette alongside fellow elite athletes Roger Federer and Thierry Henry. He commands a fee of $10 million for designing golf courses around the globe and can earn as high as $1.5 million merely for appearing at a golf tournament.

Real Estate and Other Assets

Following his separation and subsequent divorce from Elin, Tiger constructed an expansive oceanfront estate in Jupiter, Florida, spanning 12 acres. When completed, the property was valued at around $60 million, but it has since appreciated, potentially reaching a worth of $75 to $100 million today. The estate includes a practice golf course, an oxygen therapy room, and at least four…

The expansive compound features several swimming pools: a lap pool, a dive pool, a children’s pool, a reflection pool, and a water fountain.

• Named “Privacy,” Tiger owns a yacht valued at $25 million, and he occasionally spends the night on it during water-related tournaments.
• His PGA tour Pension plan has a valuation of at least $20 million.
• He possesses a private jet, the Gulfstream G550, worth $54 million. Notably, the last time Tiger utilized commercial flight was in January 2017 for a trip from Los Angeles to Dubai.
• The aforementioned ocean-front property in Jupiter, Florida, spans 12 acres and is valued at a minimum of $75 million.
• Following the 2009 financial crisis and a dip in his career, Tiger established a course design business, which has seen him engaged with projects globally.

Tiger Woods: Yearly Career Earnings

2016: Total earnings reached $34.61 million (with endorsements accounting for $35.5 million)

2017: Total earnings hit $43.3 million (around $42 million from endorsements)

2018: Total was $36.1 million (endorsements contributed $35.5 million)

2019: Earnings soared to $65 million (including $2.07 million from the 2019 Masters victory)

2020: Total earnings amounted to $62.3 million

2021: Earnings reached $73.5 million

2022: Total was $68 million

As of now, Tiger Woods’ total career earnings stand at $1.8 billion.

Marriage and Divorce Settlement with Elin Nordegren

Tiger Woods entered marriage with Elin Nordegren in 2004. Their first child, a daughter named Sam Alexis Woods, arrived in 2007, followed by their son, Charlie Axel Woods, in 2009. However, a scandal surrounding Tiger’s infidelity in 2009 severely strained their relationship, ultimately leading to their divorce. The fallout from this controversy caused significant impacts on Tiger’s career and sponsor relations, costing him millions in potential earnings. Additionally, he provided Elin with assets worth $100 million, which included cash and real estate.

Milestones in Tiger Woods’ Net Worth

1995: $10,000 (prior to turning professional)

1997: $7 million (secured initial deals with Nike and Titleist)

1999: $40 million

2001: $50 million

2003: $100 million

2005: $250 million

2009: $500 million (career earnings surpassed $1 billion)

2010: $400 million (completion of divorce settlement)

2016: $700 million

2019: $800 million

In 2009, Tiger Woods, with a net worth of $500 million, was recognized as the second-richest person of color in the United States, following Oprah Winfrey at $2.5 billion.

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Data extends through 2023 and 2024, with projections anticipated for 2025 and 2026. We also broaden the forecasts to include 2027 and 2028.
Post Title: Tiger Woods Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: September 7, 2025