David Beckham is officially a billionaire. The 2026 Sunday Times Rich List confirmed it — Britain's first-ever sporting billionaire, with he and Victoria holding a combined fortune of £1.185 billion.
The number is striking, but the engine behind it is worth understanding. Inter Miami CF, the MLS club Beckham co-owns, is now valued at approximately $1.45 billion — the highest of any team in Major League Soccer. That's not coincidental growth. That's what happens when you build a club in a major American market, land the right commercial partners, and then watch Lionel Messi walk through the door. The franchise valuation has done a significant amount of the heavy lifting here.
Where the money actually comes from
Beckham's wealth isn't built on football wages he earned two decades ago. It's the product of a carefully assembled empire: fashion, sponsorships, media, and a football investment that's appreciated faster than almost anyone predicted. Victoria's fashion and beauty brand runs alongside it as a serious commercial operation in its own right, not a celebrity vanity project.
During his playing career, Beckham went from Manchester United to Real Madrid to LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and PSG — always arriving at clubs where his commercial value matched or exceeded his sporting one. That reputation didn't fade after retirement. It compounded.
The Sunday Times list places Beckham second among Britain's wealthiest sporting figures. Bernie Ecclestone and his family still lead at £2 billion, wealth built by turning Formula One into a global media product. The comparison is apt — Beckham essentially did the same thing with his own personal brand, just without a racetrack.
The wider picture on the Rich List
Elsewhere on the list, Lewis Hamilton sits at £435 million, Rory McIlroy at £325 million following his recent major success, and Anthony Joshua at £240 million. Tyson Fury trails at £162 million.
The counterpoint is Jim Ratcliffe, whose fortune dropped to £15.194 billion after Ineos suffered falling revenues, rising debt, and heavy financial losses — a reminder that sport-adjacent wealth can move in both directions quickly.
Beckham's Inter Miami stake, currently valued at the top of MLS, is the asset most worth watching from here. If the league keeps growing and the franchise keeps appreciating, £1.185 billion may look conservative before long.
