PGA Tour golfers are known for their hefty earnings, with top players amassing substantial wealth throughout their careers. However, Maverick McNealy might just be the richest golfer you’ve never heard of.
The 29 year old secured his first PGA Tour victory in November by birdieing the final hole at The RSM Classic. Just last week, the California-born prodigy, who qualified for the 2014 U.S. Open at the tender age of 18, narrowly missed out on winning the Genesis Invitational.
Despite a stellar final round where he shot an impressive 64 to finish 11-under par, McNealy was edged out by Ludvig Aberg. This meant missing out on the $4M prize that comes with being the champion.
But it’s not all bad news for McNealy. Arriving at the golf course in his private jet, he doesn’t exactly need the money. In fact, McNealy is already wealthier than any golfer in the world, barring Tiger Woods , including big names like Rory McIlroy . This is because he is the heir to a staggering $1BN fortune.
His father, Scott McNealy, co-founded tech giant Sun Microsystems in 1982, which was later bought by Oracle Corporation in 2010 for a whopping $7.4BN, securing generational wealth for the McNealy family.
Maverick McNealy is set to inherit a mighty fortune from his father, having been raised in a palatial 28,000 square-foot home valued at a whopping $86M in Palo Alto. When you compare bank accounts, McNealy’s inheritance is slated to be six times larger than that of golfing sensation Rory McIlroy.
Celebrity Net Worth reports that the Northern Irishman has accrued an impressive $170M following his illustrious career launch in 2007. While McIlroy’s earnings come from his playing days, endorsements, and savvy investments, he potentially missed out on even greater wealth by not joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
Woods reigns as the sport’s wealthiest, boasting an estimated wealth of about $1.1BN and the distinction of being golf’s first billionaire directly from earnings in the game. Tiger reached this pinnacle even after dismissing what has been reported as a staggeringly large offer from LIV Golf.
Despite his plush background, McNealy maintains that everything wasn’t simply given to him. Speaking to Golf Digest, he shared insights from his father: “My dad often tells me the most well-funded start-ups always fail, and that a short cash runway lights a fire under your rear that’s hard to emulate.
“I don’t judge my success in golf by how much money I’ve made; I judge it by my effort and commitment. My brothers and I never got an allowance, and we were told that once we graduated from college, we’d have one summer to find a job and then we’d be on our own. My dad would’ve made me pay rent to live at home after school – I’m not kidding! “.
