And the first billion-dollar athlete is....

[mr_pikachu]

Sports' First Billion-Dollar Man (http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/29/tiger-woods-billion-business-sports-tiger.html): Tiger Woods cracks the $1 billion mark in career earnings.

So, the Tiger is a very, very wealthy cat. Think he'll let the money go to his head, or is the more important green on his four Masters jackets?

[abunaidesu]

At least it isn't Michael Phelps.

[Unbraced]

^what's wrong with Michael Phelps? He's awesome! I'm not even a swimmer and I like him!

wait... noones made more than a billion bucks before?

[Clark]

"Woods also commands $3 million appearances fees when he plays outside the United States."
lols.

[woz]

golf is shit

[abunaidesu]

golf is shit

why you hatin

[Bear]

I like Tiger Woods because he's actually an intelligent, classy guy unlike alot of professional athletes. I'm surprised he's the first though, I would have expected it to be someone like Peyton Manning or Michael Jordan with all of their endorsements over the years. Or maybe this is just strictly money from the sport you play(ed) in, in which case it makes sense.

Damn I need to learn how to play golf!

[Heald]

Perhaps people don't understand what a big deal this is. Imagine you're in a career where you earn $1 million lifetime earnings. Seems a big number. Say you work from 18-65 and earn $1 million, that's just over $20000 a year, give or take according to tax and such.

Now imagine doing that A THOUSAND TIMES better, and just for hitting a ball with a stick towards a hole. That's Tiger. He turned pro in 1996, so if we count earnings from that date, he has earned, in 13 years, around $78 million per year, or $210000 per day. That's more than most of the world's population earn in their lifetimes.

Of course, the real milestone will be the first billion pound athlete. Might as well use a real currency.

[Blademaster]

The first billion-dollar athlete is a golfer.

I'm not sure whether to feel an overwhelming amount of shame or...

...No, it's definitely shame. America, fuck yeah... :(

[Telume]

He's definitely a lot classier than say.... Michael Vick for example.

Well done Tiger, you deserve it.

[Katie]

Of course, the real milestone will be the first billion pound athlete.
I was terribly confused and amused for a second there.

Tiger Woods is like the Paris Hilton of sports. He's famous because he's famous, but nobody really knows anything about him as an athlete except "hits ball in less strokes than the other guy." I'm still confused how golf brings in enough money to pay its athletes like that. Money comes from endorsements and advertisements, right? Who the hell watches golf? I don't know a single person who doesn't flip right past golf on lazy Sunday afternoons. Not even an old person. Or any of the old people I know who play golf. Complete mystery!