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Motor racing and football dominate sports rich list

BBC Published May 2, 2010 Reviewed Jul 2, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Citation-ready fact
Eddie Irvine, Jody Scheckter and David Coulthard are in the top 10 of the Sunday Times sports rich list.
80 m · Eddie Irvine60 m · Jody Scheckter50 m · David Coulthard
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Wigan chairman Dave Whelan (£190m) and David Beckham (£125m) are the wealthiest figures from football.
190 m · Dave Whelan125 m · David Beckham
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Citation-ready fact
57% of the wealth of the top 100 was held by those linked to football.
57 % · wealth of the top 100
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Johnny Dumfries was ranked third wealthiest by the paper.
3 · Johnny Dumfries
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Johnny Dumfries was part of the team that won the Le Mans race in 1988.
1988 year · Le Mans race
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Lennox Lewis came in at fourth, valued at £95m.
4 · Lennox Lewis95 m · Lennox Lewis
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Fabio Capello was the richest football manager (£34m), followed by Roy Keane (£30m) and Sir Alex Ferguson (£24m).
34 m · Fabio Capello30 m · Roy Keane24 m · Sir Alex Ferguson
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The bulk of the UK and Ireland's richest sportsmen are linked to football or motor racing, a report says.

Formula One's Eddie Irvine (£80m), Jody Scheckter (£60m) and David Coulthard (£50m) are in the top 10 of the Sunday Times sports rich list.

But the wealthiest figures came from football - Wigan chairman Dave Whelan (£190m) and David Beckham (£125m).

No women earned enough to make the top 100.

The list includes current and former sportsmen in Britain and Ireland. Those competing abroad and foreign stars playing here were eligible - as were football managers and horse racing trainers.

The report estimated that 57% of the wealth of the top 100 was held by those linked to football.

Golf and basketball were among other sports well-represented in the list.

Former racing driver Johnny Dumfries was ranked third wealthiest by the paper. He was part of the team that won the Le Mans race in 1988, though most of his riches come from land he has inherited.

Lennox Lewis, the former WBC Heavyweight champion boxer came in at fourth, valued at £95m.

Among football managers, the paper said England boss Fabio Capello's was the richest (£34m), followed by Roy Keane (£30m) and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson (£24m).

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