I would be very pleased if a company I had a stake in made returns of 62.5 per cent. But that was the profit made in 2010 by Beckham Brand, owned by David and Victoria Beckham to exploit the Beckham name. Admittedly, sales were just £5.6m but they generated £3.5m in profits.
I would be very pleased if a company I had a stake in made returns of 62.5 per cent. But that was the profit made in 2010 by Beckham Brand, owned by David and Victoria Beckham to exploit the Beckham name. Admittedly, sales were just £5.6m but they generated £3.5m in profits.
Beckham is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer but the £4m basic he earns with LA Galaxy where he signed a new two-year contract in January is. not his main income stream. The Sunday Times Sport Rich List notes that this is a fraction of his annual earnings of £25m from grooming products and endorsements with such companies as Adidas and perfume maker Coty.
Two deals this year with Samsung and Sainsbury added £7m to his wealth. His company, Footwork Productions, paid him nearly £86m in salary and dividends from 2002-2010. Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has a fashion brand valued at £30m.
He can pick and choose what he does. He felt able to turn down a Paris Saint-German contract worth £8m to stay in California with his family. Although football is not a top Olympic sport, he will add lustre to the British team and hence do no harm to his own profile.
Can the good times go on for ever? Both he and his wife have shown a 21st century capacity to reinvent themselves and make the best of new opportunities. Top class modern footballers are celebrities and if they manage their images carefully so that they become role models rather than tabloid targets the long-term dividends can be considerable.