The star king has lost money on bad investments in a time with fewer off-field opportunities
When he died of cancer at the age of 82, Pele left behind an invaluable legacy. The planet paid tribute to the greatest footballer of all time.
Despite fame and prestige that broke all boundaries, including racism, Edson Arantes do Nascimento earned less money than he deserved.
In his days on the lawns, a player’s salary was low compared to what clubs pay their talent today.
According to a calculation published in an article in ‘Veja’, Pelé received in 1961, in Santos, the equivalent of today’s R$ 70,000 reais. Entries paid to rookies in big teams.
The article states that the three-time champion’s peak income was at the end of his three seasons at the New York Cosmos. He won in current values about 50 million dollars, at the moment R $ 255 million.
Platforms on the fortunes of international personalities, such as Net Worth, suggest that Pelé left his heirs a fortune of 100 million dollars, approximately R$ 510 million.
While that’s a sizable amount, it doesn’t come close to the resources of contemporary football idols.
According to estimates, Argentine Leonel Messi, 35, of Paris Saint-Germain, has a net worth of $600 million (R$3 billion).
The wealth of Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, of Al-Nassr, Saudi Arabia, would be $500 million (R$2.5 billion).
Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar, 30, is reported to have amassed $200 million (R$1 billion).
Even Kylian Mbappé, just 24 years old, has passed the fortune of the greatest reference in the sport. PSG’s enfant terrible has reached $150 million (R$770 million).
Today’s super gamers have multiple sources of income beyond their astronomical salary. They get paid for image rights, T-shirt sponsorships, big advertising campaigns, and as brand ambassadors.
At the time of Pele’s heyday on the lawns, there weren’t many options for extra income. In the case of the eternal Camisa 10, there was a loss of money with investments gone wrong.
Career management was not professionalized and there was little knowledge about it. Top athletes have often fallen for the salesmen of illusions, putting big bucks on doomed projects.
The King of football made a qualitative leap after his fifth national team championship, in 2002, when he had wide exposure in the international media. There were several contracts for commercials.
Over the past decade, the former player was well paid to associate his image with luxury brands, such as Hublot, and popular products, such as Coca-Cola and Subway.
As always happens when a world celebrity dies, Pele’s image will become even more appreciated. The use of his name on events and products will generate many millions for his heirs.
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Source: Terra
Jason Root is a writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth coverage of famous people in entertainment, sports, and politics. He has a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines and bringing readers an inside look at the lives of the famous. He has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley.
