Net Worth

Bill Simpson Net Worth

Bill Simpson was a self-made millionaire who became incredibly wealthy from his safety equipment inventions.

Published

2 years ago

Sep 26, 2023

Net Worth:	$50 Million
Born:	March 14, 1940
Died:	December 16, 2019
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional Racing Driver
Last Updated:	Jan 27, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Bill Simpson was an American racing driver and entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $50 Million.

Quick Facts

Founded Simpson Performance Products and Impact! Racing
Filed an $8.5 million defamation lawsuit against NASCAR in 2002

Before Wealth & Fame

When Bill Simpson was still a youngster in the late 1950s, he began pursuing his lifelong ambition to become a racing driver. After breaking both of his arms in a drag racing accident at the age of 18, he shifted his focus to racing safety.

This gave rise to his original safety concept, which involved attaching a parachute behind the car to slow it down, a concept that the NHRA soon adopted. In the 1960s, astronaut Pete Conrad introduced him to Nomex, a fire-retardant material, and that was when he made his great discovery.

The pace at which IndyCar, NASCAR, and F1 drivers perished in fires during those times was disturbing, and a solution was sought, since they either raced in T-shirts or uniforms that were chemically treated to offer the bare minimum protection. Bill knew he was onto a solution.

Simpson Performance Products

In 1959, Bill Simpson founded his own motorsports safety company, Simpson Performance Products, which designed safety gear for professional drivers. He began producing Nomex suits, and by 1967, 30 of Indy’s 33 starters were wearing them. The results were very promising, and with the introduction of seatbelts, Armco barriers, sand traps, and run-off areas, as well as improved cockpit design, driver fatalities dropped. Along with Jackie Stewart, Bill played a significant role in the fight for safety during racing’s most hazardous years, arguing for the use of Nomex hoods inside full-face helmets.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, Simpson expanded its product line from suits to include gloves, shoes, seatbelts, and helmets for all types of motor racing. Simpson’s Safety Products were tested under the most grueling conditions and utilized worldwide, enhancing his reputation and increasing his wealth.

Since the company is privately owned, we’re unable to obtain precise details about Simpson’s stake or the company’s value. That said, we know he stepped down from daily operations in the early 2000s and later launched Impact! Racing. Simpson Performance Products was sold to Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. for an undisclosed sum in 2015. It’s unclear whether or not Bill still owned shares in the business at that point.

Reports suggest that today, SPP generates over $100 million in annual revenue and is a household name among professional drivers and racing enthusiasts.

NASCAR Defamation Lawsuit

Simpson worked closely with many NASCAR drivers, including one of its biggest stars of the early 2000s, seven‑time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Jr.

On 18 February 2001, Earnhardt was involved in a crash during the final lap of the Daytona 500, which killed him instantly. Six months after the fatal accident, NASCAR officials announced that the seat belt had come apart, thereby contributing to Earnhardt’s death. It was also revealed that Simpson’s safety equipment company, Simpson Performance Products, Inc., had made the seat belt.

Following the NASCAR report, Simpson argued that the belt was safe but had been installed at an improper angle, a condition for which his company was not responsible. He also commented that NASCAR was destroying his reputation and business, and his mental health was suffering as a result. Ultimately, he resigned as a consultant to Simpson Performance Products in 2001, thereby severing ties with the company he had founded in 1959.

Lawsuit Details

A year later, on 13 February 2002, just days before the Daytona 500, Simpson filed a lawsuit for $8.5 million against NASCAR. He claimed that NASCAR was wrong to blame his seat belt for Earnhardt’s death, and the public accusation had damaged his reputation and privacy. In response, NASCAR issued a statement stating that the suit was without merit, that it intended to defend itself, and that a trial was scheduled for September 2003.

However, on 15 July 2003, Simpson withdrew the lawsuit after the parties reached a private settlement, and the $8.5 million claim was withdrawn as part of the agreement. Shortly after his withdrawal, Simpson and NASCAR issued a joint statement saying that it was in the best interests of racing to move away from litigation and focus on safety. Although NASCAR never gave Simpson the apology he wanted, its president, Mike Helton, publicly acknowledged Simpson’s contribution to motorsport safety.

Legal Issues & Lawsuits

After leaving Simpson Performance Products, Simpson founded Impact Racing in 2002 to produce high-quality, professional racing safety gear.

Several years later, in 2010, the SFI Foundation, a nonprofit that sets safety standards for racing equipment, alleged that Impact Racing had used counterfeit SFI certification labels on some of its products. They claimed that Simpson has sourced the labels from Asia, most likely to reduce costs. As a result, SFI filed a lawsuit against Impact Racing in April 2010.

SFI claimed that, between November 2005 and August 2008, Impact had hired an overseas manufacturer to produce look‑alike SFI labels that were then attached to various safety gear. SFI also announced plans to decertify all Impact Racing products, which would have made them unusable at professional race tracks that require SFI‑approved equipment. In response to these claims, Impact denied that its products were unsafe and argued that sudden decertification would cause irreparable harm to the business.

On 21 June 2010, a federal judge granted Impact’s request to block SFI from immediately terminating its contract and ruled that SFI must act rationally and fairly. Following the judge’s decision, Impact Racing provided sworn testimony that no counterfeit labels were used during 2009 and 2010, and that they would remain SFI‑certified. However, the decertification of the earlier products made between 2005 and 2008 remained in place. SFI also agreed to continue working with Impact Racing, provided that all future products were correctly labelled.

Summary

In addition to competing in SCCA and USAC Indy-car competitions, Simpson raced in open-wheel formula, sports car, and drag racing. Between 1968 and 1977, he made 52 starts in Indy cars and achieved 11 top-10 finishes, with his sixth-place performance in the 1970 Milwaukee 200 ranking as his career best.

Authors

Danielle Steel Net Worth

Published

3 days ago

Jan 24, 2026

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$600 Million
Age:	78
Born:	August 14, 1947
Gender:	Female
Height:	1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional Author
Last Updated:	Jan 26, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Danielle Steel is an American professional writer with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.

Quick Facts

Earned an estimated $201 million between 2010 and 2018
Peak annual income of $35 million in 2011
A former bookkeeper allegedly stole $2.7 million from her in 2009
67th richest self-made woman in America

Net Worth History

Year	Net Worth
2016	$310 Million
2017	$330 Million
2018	$350 Million
2019	$375 Million
2020	$385 Million
2021	$390 Million
2022	$410 Million
2023	$420 Million
2024	$500 Million
2025	$520 Million

Although not a billionaire, Forbes has been tracking Danielle Steel’s net worth for over a decade because she is a member of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. In 2016, she had an estimated net worth of $310 million, and for the next several years, this figure grew by $10-20 million annually. In 2024, her net worth jumped from $420 million to $500 million, and at the time of writing, she’s ranked as the 67th richest self-made woman in America, with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.

Earnings History

Year	Earnings
2010	$32,000,000
2011	$35,000,000
2012	$23,000,000
2013	$26,000,000
2014	$22,000,000
2015	$25,000,000
2016	$15,000,000
2017	$11,000,000
2018	$12,000,000
Total	$201,000,000

According to reports, between 2010 and 2018, Danielle Steel earned approximately $201 million from all endeavors. She often earned substantial annual sums from book advances, film and TV rights, and royalties. This included estimated earnings of $32 million in 2010 and $35 million in 2011, which were her highest-earning years of the decade. During the 2010s, Steel’s earnings gradually declined, dropping to between $22 million and $26 million in the mid-2010s and to $12 million by 2018.

Legal Issues & Lawsuits

In 1993, Steel filed a lawsuit against author Lorenzo Bene, who was going to disclose that her son had been adopted by her husband at the time, John Traina. California law states that adoption records must remain sealed to protect adoptive families and can only be opened under very special circumstances. Generally, the records can be disclosed for medical purposes or with the consent of the adopted child once they reach adulthood. Steel believed that if her son’s adoption went public, it would violate her family’s privacy.

Despite her arguments, the state supreme court ruled in favor of opening the adoption record, which was highly unusual given that her son was still a minor at the time. Controversially, the court decided that, because of Steel’s public profile, privacy standards didn’t apply to her and therefore agreed that the records could be opened.

Theft By Former Assistant

In 2009, Steel was the victim of theft after her bookkeeper stole approximately $2.7 million from her. Kirsty Watts had worked for Steel for 15 years when, in November 2008, Steel discovered irregularities in the way Watts had handled credit cards and subsequently terminated her employment. An investigation later revealed that Watts had stolen the money by writing herself cheques and paying herself bonuses. She also used Steel’s credit card reward points to buy flights and gift cards for her family.

Watts was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing over several years and agreed to surrender her assets to help repay the money. So far, she has returned the majority of what she stole, mainly through the sale of her home, its contents, and her family’s vehicles.

Real Estate

Danielle Steel and her husband, Thomas Perkins, own the Spreckles Estate in San Francisco, California. The property has a significant history. It was initially split into four units before Steel acquired it and began her restoration efforts. She also reportedly purchased approximately 25 parking permits for guests in the adjoining streets.

While we don’t know precisely how much Steel paid for the home, recent estimations place its current valuation at roughly $19.2 million. Public records show that the annual property taxes range from $130,000 to $140,000. Over at least twenty-five years of ownership, the couple is estimated to have spent at least $2.5 million on property taxes alone.

MMA Fighters

Khabib Nurmagomedov Net Worth

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 15, 2026

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$40 Million
Age:	37
Born:	September 20, 1988
Country of Origin:	Russia
Source of Wealth:	Professional MMA Fighter
Last Updated:	Jan 26, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Khabib Nurmagomedov is a Russian former professional UFC fighter and current MMA coach with an estimated net worth of $40 Million.

Nurmagomedov retired on his own terms after losing his father, a man who was always in his corner for every one of his fights. Khabib’s professional MMA record remains 29-0-0, going undefeated throughout his career. After earning approximately $15 million during his career, Khabib leveraged his fight income to invest in numerous companies, including the Eagle Fighting Championship, Fitroo by Khabib, Eagle Mobile, and Khabib Gym.

This article highlights Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career earnings, as well as the business ventures that have contributed to his net worth growth in recent years.

Quick Facts

Earned an estimated $15 million in UFC fight earnings
Received $6.09 million for his final UFC fight
Fined $500,000 for jumping the cage after the McGregor fight
Investments include Eagle FC, Fitroo, and Eagle Mobile

UFC Earnings

Year	Opponent	Salary
2012	Rafael Dos Anjos	$64,000
2012	Darrell Horcher	$135,000
2013	Michael Johnson	$170,000
2014	Edson Barbosa	$230,000
2015	Al Iaquinta	$530,000
2016	Conor McGregor	$1,540,000
2017	Dustin Poirier	$6,090,000
2017	Justin Gaethje	$6,090,000
Total Career Earnings:		$14,849,000

The UFC has typically also followed a pay structure of pay-to-show and pay-to-win for the up-and-coming fighters. As a fighter’s ranking and star power improve, they begin earning significantly higher paychecks per fight, often receiving a small percentage of the pay-per-view (PPV) sales.

One of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s earliest recorded salaries was $64,000 for defeating Rafael dos Anjos in 2014. He earned 50% ($32,000) to show up, and the other 50% for his win bonus. Given that Khabib never lost during his professional MMA career, we know that he always secured the win bonus when it was available.

In 2016, he earned $135,000 for defeating Darrell Horcher, which included a $65,000 to show, a $65,000 to win, and a $5,000 promotional bonus. That same year, his next victory against Michael Johnson earned him $80,000 to show, $80,000 to win, and a $10,000 bonus, for a total of $170,000.

By 2017, Khabib’s base show/win rate had increased to $85,000, earning him $170,000 for defeating Edson Barbosa. However, this time he received $60,000 in bonuses, bringing his total to $230,000.

Title Fight Earnings

Khabib’s final four fights in the UFC were all title fights, which meant he was no longer on the pay-to-show and pay-to-win structure. He was now guaranteed a certain purse per fight, which led to him earning significantly higher sums. When he won the lightweight championship belt against Al Iaquinta in 2018, he received a total of $530,000.

When he defeated Conor McGregor by rear-naked choke in October 2018, Khabib earned a guaranteed $2 million, plus an additional $40,000 bonus. However, after making McGregor tap out in the fourth round, Khabib immediately jumped out of the cage and lunged into the crowd, aiming for Dillon Danis. One of his teammates jumped into the octagon and started throwing punches at McGregor. His antics led to the UFC suspending him and fining him $500,000, reducing his earnings from the fight to $1.54 million.

For his final two fights against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, Khabib earned $6.09 million per fight. This brings his total known earnings to roughly $14.85 million. However, this doesn’t include his first five fights in the organization. Assuming a scalable pay-to-show, pay-to-win structure, he likely earned between $20,000 and $48,000 per fight. This potentially brings his career earnings to just over $15 million.

Eagle Fighting Championship

Following Nurmagomedov’s retirement from the UFC in 2020, he steadily built his investment portfolio into what it is today. In November of that year, Nurmagomedov purchased the Russian MMA promotion company Gorilla Fighting Championship (GFC) for $1 million. He later rebranded it as the Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) and created an international platform for up-and-coming fighters, providing them with a pathway into the UFC.

EFC’s first event was held in December 2020 in Moscow. It then hosted events across Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and made its U.S. debut in Miami, Florida, on January 28, 2022. The brand evolved into a respected MMA league featuring former UFC stars such as Kevin Lee and Junior dos Santos. Although EFC remains active today, it is financially smaller than it was during its U.S. expansion in 2022.

The promotion initially generated approximately $7 million in annual revenue from sponsorships, ticket sales, and broadcast rights. However, that figure reportedly declined to around $3-$5 million by 2024 after Nurmagomedov stepped back to focus on his family.

Food Brand Investments

Later in mid-2021, Nurmagomedov launched two new food brands across the UAE. Fitroo by Khabib, focused on nutrition and fitness, and pH Top Water by Khabib. Fitroo sold protein bars, sportswear, and training supplements, while pH Top Water offered a mineral-rich, pH-balanced hydration product. Outside of the UAE, the products were also sold across Russia and parts of Europe. The emphasis was on clean, natural ingredients inspired by Nurmagomedov’s healthy upbringing in the mountainous region of Dagestan, Russia.

Eagle Mobile

After focusing on nutrition, Nurmagomedov expanded into the telecommunications industry in early 2022 with the launch of Eagle Mobile. The mobile network provides nationwide services across Russia and supplements traditional phone plans with exclusive loyalty programs, including discounts on Fitroo products, autographed memorabilia, and fan meet-and-greets.

Khabib Gym

By mid-2023, Nurmagomedov had established the Khabib Gym, a 1,500-square-meter luxury fitness facility in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The gym offers MMA training programs, boxing studios, and functional fitness zones. It was designed as a regional hub for world-class coaching and youth athletic development, continuing Nurmagomedov’s mission to grow martial arts education throughout the Middle East. The gym also integrates modern sports science with traditional Dagestani training philosophies.

Two years later, on May 21, 2025, Nurmagomedov opened another gym in his hometown of Sildi, Dagestan. The gym cost approximately $5 million to build, which Nurmagomedov said was funded by the money he earned from his 2018 UFC 229 victory over Conor McGregor, and will be used to develop Dagestan’s next generation of fighters. Since retirement, Nurmagomedov has successfully transitioned from UFC champion to global entrepreneur, building multiple income streams that have significantly increased his net worth.

Net Worth

Katy Perry Net Worth

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 14, 2026

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$330 Million
Age:	41
Born:	October 25, 1984
Gender:	Female
Height:	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional Singer
Last Updated:	Jan 26, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Katy Perry is an American professional singer, actress, and songwriter with an estimated net worth of $330 Million.

Quick Facts

Over 140 million records sold in the United States
Earned an estimated $512 million between 2011 and 2020
Paid $25 million per season to judge American Idol
Grossed over $330 million in revenue from concerts/tours
Sold the rights to her music collection for $225 million in 2023
Ranked 86th highest-paid celebrity in 2020, earning $38.5 million

Net Worth Details

When we first started tracking Katy Perry’s net worth in 2019, she was estimated to be worth $330 million. In 2024, Forbes listed Perry among America’s richest self-made women, with an estimated net worth of $350 million. Since then, her fortune has grown by an additional $10 million, keeping her on the list in 97th place. At the time of writing, Perry is worth approximately $330 Million.

Earnings History

Year	Earnings
2011	$44,000,000
2012	$45,000,000
2013	$39,000,000
2014	$40,000,000
2015	$135,000,000
2016	$41,000,000
2017	$33,000,000
2018	$83,000,000
2019	$57,500,000
2020	$38,500,000
Total	$556,000,000

Between 2011 and 2020, Katy Perry was consistently listed among the highest-paid singers in the world, typically earning between $33 million and $45 million annually. In the first four years of the decade, she earned between $39 million and $45 million per year. However, in 2015, Perry experienced one of the most lucrative years of her career, earning an estimated $135 million. This was thanks to the success of The Prismatic World Tour, which reportedly grossed $204 million from 151 shows. That same year, she also performed in the halftime show for Super Bowl XLIX, which had an immediate impact on album sales and streaming revenue.

In 2016 and 2017, her earnings returned to roughly the same level as before, with $41 million in 2016 and $33 million in 2017. However, 2018 was another impressive year for the singer, after negotiating a reported $25 million salary to feature as a judge on American Idol. She also commenced her Witness World Tour, which grossed approximately $124 million between 2017 and 2018.

Overall, between 2011 and 2020, Katy Perry earned an estimated $512 million from all endeavors. However, this doesn’t include her substantial earnings from the 2023 music catalog sale, which reportedly totaled $225 million.

American Idol Salary

Although Katy Perry appeared on American Idol numerous times as a musical guest and judge from seasons eight through eleven, she didn’t reappear until season 16. Reports suggest that Perry signed a contract in 2018 to become a full-time judge on the show, paying her $25 million per year. This equates to roughly $1.32 million per episode.

Perry served in this role for 7 seasons until the end of 2023, during which she should have earned approximately $175 million. According to reports, she initially asked for a raise to $30 million per season before her departure.

Music Catalog Sale

In May 2023, it was reported that Perry sold a significant portion of her music catalog to the Carlyle Group-backed company Litmus Music. When Forbes inquired about the deal’s price, the Carlyle Group declined to comment; however, it was estimated that the catalog was sold for approximately $225 million.

The sale includes the rights to Katy’s master recordings and the publishing rights to the five albums released through Capitol Records between 2008 and 2020, which include “One of the Boys,” “Teenage Dream,” “Prism,” “Witness,” and “Smile.”

Real Estate

Hollywood Hills Compound

In April 2013, Perry purchased a 2.33-acre estate in the Hollywood Hills for $8.2 million. The six-bedroom, 7,418-square-foot Mediterranean-style home, built in 1954, includes a two-story guesthouse. At the same time, she also purchased the neighboring home for $3 million.

In 2017, she relisted the main property for $9.45 million. It was later relisted at $9.285 million in March 2018 and reduced to $8.95 million in June. According to public records, the house sold in February 2019 for $9.4 million. A month later, she sold the smaller home for $3.3 million.

Combining the two, Perry spent a total of $11.2 million on this compound and sold the properties for a combined $12.7 million. While that equates to $1.5 million in gross profit, she likely walked away with between $300,000 and $500,000 after agent fees and property taxes.

Beverly Hills Mansion

Perry’s most expensive real estate purchase came in May 2017, when she acquired a 5,427-square-foot, seven-bedroom home in Beverly Hills for $18 million. She listed the property for sale in March 2022 at $19.475 million. However, she eventually let it go for $18 million – her original purchase price. Since she paid over $1 million in property taxes during ownership, plus an additional $900,000 to $1.5 million in listing and agent commissions, Perry may have lost at least $2 million on the investment.

Beverly Hills Guesthouse

In December 2018, Perry paid $7.45 million for a 4,410-square-foot, four-bedroom home in Beverly Hills. She initially attempted to sell this property in 2020 for $7.95 million, but removed the listing. In May 2021, Perry sold the house for $7.575 million.

Montecito Mansion

In July 2020, Katy Perry agreed to purchase a 9,285-square-foot, eight-bedroom mansion in Montecito, California, for $15 million. Perry’s business manager, Bernie Gudvi, acting on her behalf, signed the contract, as did the seller. Several days later, the seller decided he no longer wanted to sell, and as a result, both parties filed lawsuits, leading to a three-year legal battle.

In late 2023, a judge ruled that the sales contract must be respected, allowing Perry to finally take ownership of the property. As things stand, she has paid $9 million of the agreed $15 million towards the property. However, the second phase of the trial will determine how much, if any, of the remaining $6 million needs to be paid, depending on damages awarded in Perry’s favor.