Tag: swimming

Michael Phelps set to be swimming Scrooge McDuck style in piles of money

Ya, he’s going to take up business operation of hometown swimming club, but the business tie-ins and endorsements that await him are going to be fantazmagoracle. Check out what he’s pocketed just in BONUSES for gosh sake:

Phelps collected $480,000 from USA Swimming and another $200,000 from the U.S. Olympic Committee for his record eight gold medals in Beijing. Had Phelps been born 9,000 miles away in Singapore, he might have pocketed S$8 million ($5.6 million) from the most bonus-friendly national sports body.

How much is a Phelps endorsement worth you ask?…

“Michael Phelps would be worth $40 or $50 million to Nike,” said Howard Bloom, who teaches sports management at Algonquin College in Ottawa and has worked with several Olympic athletes, “He could literally allow them to launch a massive swimwear company, and I think you are going to see an incredible bidding war for him.“

And if that isn’t nuts enough for you, how about this tidbit courtesy of Phelps’ agent Peter Carlisle.

“What is the value of eight golds in Beijing before a prime-time audience in the U.S? I’d say $100 million over the course of his lifetime.“

Though the source is skeptical, the numbers can’t be too far off…

Exit question: Does Sports Illustrated hate Mr Phelps? How else do you explain them using the worst picture of him ever, EVER?…