by Ronald Banks
#1. Ben Simmons
The saga of Ben Simmons has captivated the basketball world, and he may well be the most notoriously popular Aussie athlete in recent memory. After a meteoric rise as a top draft pick with endless potential, Simmons has played just 57 games over the last two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets amid a string of controversies and underwhelming performances.
Once heralded as the future face of the Philadelphia 76ers alongside Joel Embiid, the 27-year-old’s net worth is still an impressive $60 million, bolstered by lucrative endorsements with Nike, Beats by Dre and Foot Locker.
Last season, Simmons cashed in almost $38 million despite playing just 15 games and averaging an anemic 6.1 points per contest – not a bad paycheck for such minimal contribution on the court. With his $177 million contract expiring next year, it’s doubtful any team will offer Simmons more than $10 million annually unless he can recapture the magic that once made him a tantalizing prospect.
#2. Daniel Ricciardo
Another Australian star whose career appears to be fading into the sunset is F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. Just like Ben Simmons, the affable Aussie has somehow managed to cash in massively despite diminishing returns on the track. Ricciardo’s net worth is estimated at a cool $50 million, and he pocketed an eye-watering $18 million severance from McLaren last season despite being utterly outclassed by younger teammate Lando Norris.
To add insult to injury for McLaren, he also raced for AlphaTauri and made $2.1 on top of the sum. This season, he’s making a relatively modest $2 million driving for the midfield AlphaTauri (now rebranded to RB Visa) team. But the 35-year-old honey badger has diversified his income streams, launching his own wine label DR3 and an apparel clothing line called “Enchante.”
With his racing prowess clearly on the wane, Ricciardo may be smart to focus more on his entrepreneurial endeavours. At least he’s already secured the big-money paydays that many athletes can only dream of before riding off into the sunset.
#3. Dustin Martin
When it comes to savvy financial acumen, few athletes can hold a candle to Dustin Martin. The Richmond Tigers superstar has expertly parlayed his on-field exploits into a burgeoning real estate empire, amassing an estimated net worth of $14 million at just 31 years old.
While Martin’s $1.3 million salary from his playing contract is nothing to sneeze at, it’s his canny investment decisions that are really setting him up for life after football. The three-time Premiership winner and Norm Smith Medalist has shown he’s as skilled at identifying undervalued properties as he is at slicing through opposition defenses.
Martin’s money-making prowess is emblematic of the Australian Football League’s escalating pay scale. Once considered the poor cousin to other major sports, the AFL is seriously stepping up its salary game – a remarkable 19 players now earn over $1 million per year.
With so many freshly-minted millionaires, it’s likely we’ll see even more Dustin Martin-esque success stories of players smartly leveraging their athletic earnings into lifelong wealth. The former working-class code is rapidly becoming big business.
#4. Oscar Piastri
Few drivers in recent memory have provided as much bang for their buck as Oscar Piastri. Last year, the young Australian was listed as the most valuable driver based on points per salary, delivering a just casino-like huge payout for McLaren. In his first full F1 season, Piastri amassed an impressive 97 points while earning just $2 million – a bargain at $20,619 per point.
In comparison, Max Verstappen’s championship-winning campaign cost Red Bull a whopping $95,650 per point, while Kevin Magnussen essentially bottled it by scoring a measly 3 points for his $5 million Haas salary. This year, Piastri’s pay packet has increased to $6 million, but he’s still drastically underpaid compared to the sport’s elite stars.
Up to April 2024, the 22-year-old’s net worth was just $4 million. However, that figure is expected to skyrocket in coming years as Piastri cements his status as F1’s next big thing and starts inking lucrative endorsement deals with popular brands. And we know how expertly McLaren operates on the commercial side to maximize their drivers’ marketability.
