Lewis Hamilton is motorsports' richest driver here's how he makes and spends his millions
- Lewis Hamilton is the biggest star in motorsports and takes home $57 million a year from his Mercedes contract.
- He is one of the best drivers of all time, tied with Michael Schumacher with seven F1 championships.
Lewis Hamilton is the biggest star in motorsports and one of the biggest stars in sports.
He is one of the best drivers of all time, tied with Michael Schumacher with seven Formula One world titles.
As the only Black driver in F1 history, he has used his voice to promote equality and has campaigned for other issues, such as LGTBQ+ rights and environmental concerns.
Hamilton's success on the track has earned him millions, making him the 17th highest-paid athlete in the world. Take a look below at his fabulous life.
Sam Cooper contributed to an earlier version of this post.
Hamilton is the biggest star in Formula One. He signed a new deal with Mercedes in 2021, which Forbes estimated earned the British star $57 million in 2022.
Source: Forbes
The 7-time champion still takes in more than his top rival, Max Verstappen. The 2021 champion makes $46 million per year on the track.
Source: Forbes
Hamilton also takes in an estimated $8 million in endorsements annually.
Source: Forbes
He has lucrative deals with Tommy Hilfiger, Monster Energy, Puma, IWC, Sony, Bose, Bell Helmets, MV Augusta Motorcycles, Petronas, and Gran Turismo Sport.
Unsurprisingly for an F1 driver, Hamilton is a fan of cars.
His collection is not just limited to Mercedes either. Cars reported to be included in his collection include a $1.15 million McLaren P1, two $1.56 million Ferrari LaFerraris, and a $2.72 million Mercedes-AMG Project One.
He also used to own a custom-made Pagani Zonda.
However, Hamilton reportedly wanted to cut back on his carbon footprint, so he sold the car for $10 million.
Source: Motor
But as Hamilton has become more environmentally conscious, his daily car of choice is the electric Mercedes-AMG EQS with a base price of $102,000.
Source: Vanity Fair
It's not just road cards, either. Hamilton has described himself as a "motorhead" and enjoys posting to his Instagram pictures of him with his latest vehicle of choice, including this off-road buggy.
He also spent $4 million on a 90-foot Sunseeker yacht, which is typically docked in Monaco.
Source: The Sports Rush
In 2017, Hamilton shared a video of himself partying in Monaco aboard the much larger 270-foot Alfa Nero yacht.
When he's not driving, Hamilton can relax and unwind in one of his four reported properties.
Hamilton owns a $43 million New York penthouse, a $24 million London mansion, and houses in Geneva and the racing drivers' favorite, Monte Carlo.
Source: The UK Sun
He also used to own a $22.5 million private jet but sold it in 2019.
Read more: Business Insider
As far as rumored or confirmed relationships go, there have been many that were notable, including (clockwise from top-left) Nicki Minaj, Irina Shayk, Rihanna, Sofia Richie, Jodie Ma, Nicole Scherzinger, and Winnie Harlow.
According to Cosmo, Hamilton has also been linked to Danielle Lloyd, Veronica Valle, Rita Ora, Barbara Palvin, and Kendall Jenner.
Most recently, Hamilton is said to be in "the early stages of dating."
Hamilton and Shakira have been spotted in public together recently, and according to an anonymous source for People, they are being "fun and flirty" right now.
Hamilton is into his fashion and is often pictured arriving at the track in an array of designer clothing.
He recently joined Zendaya as one of the faces of Valentino's PP Pink campaign.
In addition to fashion, Hamilton also spoke to Vanity Fair recently about expanding his business empire away from the track.
One of his interests is "planet-friendly start-ups."
This includes expanding his London-based vegan restaurant Neat Burger to the United States with new partner Leonardo DiCaprio. The chain recently reached a valuation of $100 million, according to the Financial Times.
Source: Vanity Fair
He is also taking on Hollywood, having recently signed on as a producer for an F1 movie for Apple TV starring Brad Pitt.
Hamilton was also announced as one of several big-name investors in TMRW Sports, a sports, media, and entertainment company started by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Source: TMRW Sports
He was also recently announced as a new minority owner for the NFL's Denver Broncos.
While the season itself can be intense, Formula One drivers do get down time and Hamilton chooses to spend his vacationing in an array of exotic locales.
During the 2022 summer break, Hamilton took a "humbling" and "grounding" trip to Africa.
He is also a big fan of going fast on the water, like some time he recently spent with MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo.
Hamilton also likes to spend his spare time making music.
In an interview with Music-News.com, Danny Jones of McFly revealed that Hamilton has "a little bit of a studio set up" that he takes with him around the world during the F1 season.
The one Hamilton spoils the most is probably Roscoe, his dog of 10 years whom he calls his "best friend."
Roscoe often travels with Hamilton to races and is probably one of the luckiest pups in the world. What a life.
Hamilton is a proud advocate for causes he believes in and has shown he is willing to put his money where his mouth is.
He pledged $27 million to a charity called Project 44, which aims to empower young people from under-represented groups in the UK.
Source: ESPN
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