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Conor McGregor said he's a billionaire in an Instagram post, but it's unlikely that's even close to being true

Alan Dawson   

Conor McGregor said he's a billionaire in an Instagram post, but it's unlikely that's even close to being true
Sports2 min read

Conor McGregor UFC fighter

Conor McGregor is now a billionaire, the UFC fighter has proclaimed in an Instagram post.

"I fought for billionaires and then became one myself," the Irishman said on Friday alongside a photo that shows him doing his "billionaire strut" in the middle of a UFC octagon ahead of his iconic fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 last year.

The fighting for billionaires reference is a nod to UFC executives like former CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, who is worth $1.8 billion, according to Forbes.

Fertitta and his brother Frank Fertitta III bought UFC for $2 million in 2001 but sold the company for $4 billion in 2016.

Dana White, the company president, retained his role under the new ownership and made $400 million from the deal, the LA Times reported in 2017.

Read more: What whiskey 'unicorn' Conor McGregor is actually like, according to his Proper No. Twelve business partner

But McGregor says he is worth more, and claims to now be a billionaire himself.

It's unlikely McGregor's claim is even close to being true, though.

In Forbes' ranking of the 100 highest-earning celebrities on the planet, McGregor was 65th with $47 million banked.

McGregor's highest payday was the approximate $100 million he earned for his 10th round loss to Floyd Mayweather in his sole boxing rules bout in 2017.

He has had one fight since, a fourth round submission loss to UFC lightweight rival Khabib Nurmagomedov which made him $30 million richer, Forbes said.

McGregor does have other income streams, however. His popular Proper no. Twelve whiskey brand had already sold close to 200,000 cases when Business Insider spoke to McGregor's business partner Ken Austin earlier this year.

He also has a burgeoning clothing line August McGregor, as well as his company McGregor Sports and Entertainment, which is used as a vehicle to register trademarks that protect his personal brand.

McGregor Sports and Entertainment sells the MacTalk app on iTunes and runs the news website themaclife.com.

It is unclear when, if at all, McGregor will return for another multi-million dollar fight in a UFC octagon, but Austin told Business Insider that Proper no. Twelve will release further expressions as it looks to close the gap between itself and the leading Irish whiskey brand Jameson's.

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