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Joe Montana Net Worth

Joe Montana made a small fortune playing football and then parlayed it into massive wealth as a skilled investment strategist.

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Joe Montana Net Worth
Net Worth:$150 Million
Age:69
Born:June 11, 1956
Gender:Male
Height:1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Country of Origin:United States of America
Source of Wealth:Professional NFL Player
Last Updated:Oct 7, 2025

Introduction

Joe Montana is an American former professional NFL player with an estimated net worth of $150 Million.

During his fifteen-season NFL career, Joe Montana played for two teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Passing 40,551 yards for a total of 273 touchdowns, he earned an estimated $25.56 million during his career. This equates to an average of $1.7 million/year before considering income from endorsements and other ventures.

Montana has since transitioned to a role in a venture capital firm, making a massive success of his second career. Almost everyone agrees that Joe Montana is one of the greatest professional athletes who ever ran out on a football field. He made much more money from venture capital investments than he ever did from his salary and sponsorships during his playing career.

 

Early Life 

Joseph Clifford Montana Jr was born June 11, 1956, in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, United States.

His parents, Theresa Marie Bavuso and Joseph Clifford Montana, Sr., sent him to Waverly Elementary School, followed by his senior schooling at Finleyville Junior High and Ringgold High Schools.

Joe’s outstanding basketball talents led “North Carolina State” to offer him a basketball scholarship during his final year. However, it was Joe’s impressive skills on the high school football team that caught the attention of “Notre Dame,” and he eventually received an offer of a scholarship, which he accepted.

When Montana enrolled at Notre Dame in 1974, he participated in the freshman team competitions. This gifted athlete made an impression on Dan Devine in 1975 by defeating North Carolina.

After suffering a shoulder injury, Montana missed the first two games of the 1977 season before playing against Purdue. He was appointed the starting quarterback after the team’s success in the season’s last games. He was crucial to the team’s victory over the Pitt Panthers in 1978, and, against Houston the following year, he put on his best-ever effort. Montana’s memories from the game inspired the movie Seven and a Half Minutes to Destiny.

 

NFL Career

After a fruitful stint at Notre Dame, he earned a degree in business administration and marketing that would be so helpful after he retired from football. The San Francisco 49ers selected him with the 82nd overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft. Although the 49ers suffered some losses the following season, Montana passed for 1,795 yards and 15 touchdowns.

In 1981, the club met the “Cincinnati Bengals” in “Super Bowl XVI,” and the talented quarterback once again performed an outstanding performance to help the team win the game. After a few more victories, Montana went on his second straight “Pro Ball” trip in 1984, where he defeated the “Chicago Bears” and the “New York Giants.” The squad set the record for the most passing yards in a single game when they played the “Dolphins” in “Super Bowl XIX”.

The squad was defeated by the “New York Giants” in the NFC Wild Card game in 1985, and Joe was injured the following year and had to have surgery. Montana’s career peaked in 1987 when he set the NFL record for completing 3054 yards without an incomplete pass.

In 1988, the club earned a second shot at Super Bowl XXIII by defeating the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears in the playoffs.

After signing a three-year contract, he moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 but suffered repeated injuries that affected his game time. Even so, after returning from his injuries, he only participated in two games in 1994 and announced his retirement in April 1995.

 

NFL Salary

YearTeamSalary
1979San Francisco 49ers$100,000
1980San Francisco 49ers$70,000
1981San Francisco 49ers$85,000
1984San Francisco 49ers$1,150,000
1985San Francisco 49ers$900,000
1986San Francisco 49ers$950,000
1987San Francisco 49ers$1,000,000
1988San Francisco 49ers$1,100,000
1989San Francisco 49ers$1,200,000
1990San Francisco 49ers$4,500,000
1991San Francisco 49ers$3,500,000
1992San Francisco 49ers$3,000,000
1993Kansas City Chiefs$4,000,000
1994Kansas City Chiefs$4,000,000
Total Career Earnings:$25,555,000

In 1979, Joe Montana signed a three-year rookie contract worth $255,000 with the San Francisco 49ers. His signing bonus was just $50,000, allowing him to earn $100,000 in his first NFL season. Montana only earned $70,000 in 1980 and $85,000 in 1981. If we were to adjust for inflation, that would result in $266,000 and $293,000, respectively.

In 1984, Montana signed a six-year extension worth $6.3 million with the 49ers. He earned $1.15 million for the year, which, if adjusted for inflation, would be equivalent to $3.5 million in today’s currency. That would also mean his $6.3 million contract would probably be closer to $18 million today.

In 1990, Montana signed a four-year contract with the 49ers valued at $13 million. He earned $4.5 million for the year, $3.5 million for 1991, and $3 million for 1992.

When he moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993, he signed a three-year, $10 million contract. Montana would earn $8 million for two years with the Chiefs before retiring after the 1994 season.

During his NFL career, Joe Montana earned $25.6 million. He earned far more money from his venture capital deals than from his footballing skills. Before it went public, he was among the first investors in Silicon Valley startup Pinterest. Montana was the first of many celebrities, such as Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Durant, and Serena Williams, to launch their own investment funds.

 

Liquid2 Ventures

Montana used his network of Bay Area business contacts to start a venture capitalist career after leaving the NFL. He currently serves as one of the general partners and co-founders of Liquid2 Ventures, a venture capital firm. Joe and Liquid2 have successfully invested in several businesses, including Pinterest, Airbnb, Robinhood, and GitLab.

GitLab is Liquid2’s most successful investment to date, after receiving a $100,000 investment from Joe and his partners in 2015 – the company had a $12 million market value at the time. In October 2021, GitLab went public with a market capitalization of $15 billion at the close of its first trading day. This meant that Liquid2’s $100,000 investment was worth over $63 million and set to increase with the company’s bright future.

 

Real Estate

Montana put his 500-acre estate in Calistoga, California, up for sale in 2009, valuing it at $49 million. The property has an olive grove, a bocce court, a basketball court, a spa, a skeet shooting range, horse stables, a guest house, a pool, a private pond, and quarters for the groundskeeper.

The Montana family primarily resides just outside Los Angeles and considers this property their vacation home. In January 2012, he dropped the price to $35 million. In July 2019, he listed it again for $28.9 million and relisted it for $24.5 million in June 2021.

 

Personal Life

In 1974, Montana married his high school sweetheart, Kim Moses, but the marriage lasted only two years before the couple decided to end their marriage. His second marriage to Cass Castillo took place in 1981, but the union failed, and three years later, the couple filed for divorce.

In 1985, he married the actress Jennifer Wallace in his third marriage. They are still married and have four children: Alexandra Whitney, Elizabeth Jean, Nathaniel “Nate” Joseph, and Nicholas Alexander.

In collaboration with Beringer winemaker Ed Sbragia, Joe creates his own wine under the Montagia label and owns a stable with his favorite horse, nicknamed That Cool Cat, among the many he owns.

 

Summary 

Joe had a challenging introduction to college football, but he worked hard both on the field and academically, putting him on the path to a starting lineup. Despite injuries early on and again when he was in his prime, Joe bounced back, showing the strength of character that was a hallmark of his career.

His commitment to hard work created his record-breaking NFL career and made him a huge asset in his job as a venture capitalist, assessing companies and their prospects.

John is a professional accountant with a passion for writing. When not helping clients identify tax and financial opportunities, you can find him writing, sailing offshore, or flying a plane. He’s worked and partied with the rich and famous from around the world, getting an inside look at the secretive lifestyles of high-net-worth celebrities.

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MMA Fighters

Junior Dos Santos Net Worth

Junior Dos Santos came to the UFC at a young age and became one of the highest-paid members of the company’s heavyweight division.

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Junior Dos Santos Net Worth Profile
Net Worth:$10 Million
Age:41
Born:January 30, 1984
Gender:Male
Height:1.93 m
Country of Origin:Brazil
Source of Wealth:Professional MMA Fighter
Last Updated:Oct 7, 2025

Introduction

Junior Dos Santos is a Brazilian professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $10 Million.

 

Early Life 

Junior Dos Santos was born on 30 January 1984 in Cacador, Brazil, and trained in multiple martial arts and boxing while growing up. Much of Dos Santos’ training came in the form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, although it wasn’t until he was in his early twenties that he began to train more seriously.

Dos Santos proved to be a natural in mixed martial arts and quickly joined the professional ranks at the age of 22. He would win his first five matches easily, as he defeated every opponent in the first round, including a 50-second submission victory.

 

MMA Career 

Just two years after turning pro, Dos Santos made his UFC debut with a victory over Fabricio Werdum and would go on a winning streak that included takedowns of Mirko Cro Cop, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Roy Nelson.

After defeating Nelson, Dos Santos was placed into the UFC Heavyweight Title Eliminator, where he defeated Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez to earn the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He would successfully defend the title against Frank Mir, but lost his rematch to Cain Velasquez, as well as the rubber match.

From December 2014 to March 2019, Dos Santos took on the likes of Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, and Derrick Lewis, but lost his final four UFC matches. After losing to Ciryl Gane in late 2020, Dos Santos’ time with UFC came to an end, and he joined Eagle FC, where he lost his first match against Yorgan De Castro in May 2022.

 

UFC Earnings

During our research into Junior dos Santos’ fight earnings, particularly within the UFC, we found information relating to just nine of his thirty professional fights. The majority of these fights occured between 2010 and 2013, when dos Santos was considered to be at the peak of his career. At the time, his earnings were among the highest in mixed martial arts.

However, dos Santos’ earliest recorded fight purse was $71,000 against Fabricio Werdum. This somehow included his $65,000 knockout bonus, indicating that his base pay was just a few thousand dollars. In March 2010, he earned a similar sum ($70,000), for knocking out Gabriel Gonzaga in the first round.

After six straight wins in the UFC, five of which were knockouts, dos Santos quickly began commanding a higher salary. When he fought Shane Carwin at UFC 131 in 2011, Junior earned $200,000, comprising $100,000 to show and $100,000 for the win. Later that year, he secured a similar sum ($220,000) for his win over Cain Velasquez, securing the Heavyweight Championship belt. In 2012, his disclosed earnings from his bout with Frank Mir were $200,000; however, there may have been certain bonuses that went undisclosed. At UFC 155, where Velasquez reclaimed the belt, dos Santos reportedly secured a $400,000 purse.

The final three disclosed earnings of Junior dos Santos’ UFC career were $240,000 against Mark Hunt, $260,000 against Stipe Miocic, and $400,000 against Alistair Overeem. These nine fights amounts to an estimated $2.06 million in earnings, but may still be missing several bonuses, etc.

 

Additional Earnings

Post-UFC, Junior dos Santos also competed in the BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship), and Eagle FC, which is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s MMA promotion. However, these organizations are somewhat reluctant to publish their fighter’s earnings. Thus, we’re unable to know how much dos Santos has earned with them, despite many sources guessing. Junior has fought twice in the BKFC, and once for Eagle FC. In an interview, he claimed that he was “going to make as much” if not more with Eagle FC than he did in the UFC.

 

Personal Life

For much of his career, Junior Dos Santos was married to Vilsana Picolli, though the two announced that they would be divorcing in 2013 after a decade of marriage. That wasn’t the end of their working relationship, though, as Picolli remained as Dos Santos’ manager, and the former UFC Heavyweight Champion has more recently been linked to Brazilian TV presented Isadora Santos.

In addition to his fighting career, Dos Santos has made several appearances with All Elite Wrestling and competed in the 2019 season of Dancing with the Stars in his native Brazil.

 

Awards & Achievements

Here are the top awards and achievements from Junior Dos Santos’ UFC career:

  • One-time UFC Heavyweight Champion with one successful title defense.
  • Three-time Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus winner.
  • Holds the longest winning streak in the history of the UFC heavyweight division with nine.
  • Has the second most knockout victories in UFC heavyweight history with 10.
  • Named to the 2011 Sherdog All-Violence First Team.

 

How Does Junior Dos Santos Spend His Money?

Junior Dos Santos may be one of the richest fighters, but the former UFC Heavyweight Champion doesn’t quite spend like it. Dos Santos revealed that he just wanted to be comfortable as he grew up in an impoverished area in Brazil and spent a lot of money helping his family.

In fact, one of the reasons Dos Santos left the UFC was that the injuries were no longer worth the paydays, and he wanted to work on a more manageable schedule, even if it meant earning less money. Dos Santos loves winning, and that comes with good paydays, but the money primarily goes toward his family and community.

 

Summary 

Junior Dos Santos was a staple of the UFC’s heavyweight division for years and is considered among the promotion’s best fighters in its history. As he approaches his 40s, Dos Santos seems to have his sights set more on professional wrestling now with All Elite Wrestling. Along the way, Dos Santos has made millions and is considered a legend of the heavyweight division for good reason.

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MMA Fighters

Francis Ngannou Net Worth

Francis Ngannou is a late bloomer who attempted a professional boxing career but found success and millions of dollars as a mixed martial artist.

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Francis Ngannou Net Worth Profile
Net Worth:$5 Million
Age:39
Born:September 5, 1986
Gender:Male
Height:1.93 m
Country of Origin:Cameroon
Source of Wealth:Professional MMA Fighter
Last Updated:Oct 6, 2025

Introduction

Francis Ngannou is a Cameroonian professional MMA fighter and boxer with an estimated net worth of $15 Million.

Ngannou gained fame for his record-breaking punch power and quickly became the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Following a contract dispute with the company, he was released by the UFC and subsequently signed with the PFL. Francis made his professional boxing debut in 2023 against Tyson Fury and also fought against Anthony Joshua in 2024. These two fights earned him more money than from all his MMA fights combined.

 

Net Worth History

YearNet Worth
2015$50,000
2016$175,000
2017$350,000
2018$1 million
2019$1.4 million
2020$1.6 million
2021$2.2 million
2022$3 million
2023$7 million
2024$14 million
2025$15 million

Throughout the early parts of his career, Francis Ngannou was essentially living paycheck to paycheck between fights. However, things changed drastically when he became the UFC’s Heavyweight Champion. When we first started tracking Francis Ngannou’s net worth in 2022, it was estimated to be just $3 million. After stalled contract negotiations with the UFC, he eventually left to join the PFL. 

However, it was his move to professional boxing that truly began bringing in the big bucks. Ngannou has earned an estimated $30 million from just two boxing matchups, against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. As a result, his net worth has skyrocketed to an estimated $15 Million, as of 2025.

 

MMA Career 

After dropping his second fight against Zoumana Cisse, Ngannou won his next 10 matches, which included his UFC debut against Luis Henrique. Ngannou experienced a brief cold streak in 2018, dropping decisions to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis, with the latter being his first title shot. He then rebounded with wins over Curtis Blaydes and Cain Velasquez, running his record to 13-3 and re-entering the title scene in the Dana White promotion.

Ngannou became a dominant force, defeating Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik en route to a rematch with Stipe Miocic, this time winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship and defending it successfully against Ciryl Gane.

 

UFC Fight Earnings

Not all of Francis Ngannou’s fight purses from the UFC were publicly disclosed. However, we do have information for several of them, particularly in the latter stages. Ngannou’s first official fight in the UFC took place in December 2015 against Luis Henrique. After winning the fight by knockout, he secured a total of $22,500, comprising $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win, and $2,500 from his Reebok sponsorship.

Fast forward to 2019, Ngannou earned a combined $525,000 from another two knockouts over Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Both of which occurred in the first minute of the first round. The following year, when Francis secured his wild knockout over Jairzinho Rozenstruik, he reportedly earned $320,000.

In 2021, Ngannou fought Stipe Miocic for the second time, once again for the Heavyweight title. Adding another knockout to his record, Francis earned $580,000, including bonuses. Finally, a decision win over Ciryl Gane in 2022 earned him $600,000.

For these six fights alone, Francis Ngannou earned an estimated $2.05 million, which is not a lot considering the extent of his dominance in the UFC’s Heavyweight division. However, we are missing a large number of his fights, particularly during his rise to the top of the rankings.

 

UFC Contract Dispute

The bout with Gane was the final fight on Ngannou’s contract, and although the organization offered him $5 million to sign a new deal, he was reluctant to do so. His relationship with the UFC was already strained due to contract negotiations that failed to take place in 2019. According to Francis, this led to him only receiving one fight per year, placing additional strain on his finances.

Eventually, Francis decided to leave the UFC and join the PFL. Dana White clapped back, claiming Francis is “full of s***” and “isn’t a good guy.”

 

Boxing Payouts

By far, the most lucrative period of Francis Ngannou’s career was between 2023 and 2024, when he transitioned into professional boxing. This was only made possible due to his decision to leave the UFC, as otherwise, he would have been locked into a contract and unable to compete in other organizations. 

In October 2023, Ngannou made his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fury won the fight by decision, reportedly earning $50 million, yet Ngannou still secured an estimated $10 million purse. Francis claimed this was almost double his entire earnings within the UFC. A year later, he fought Anthony Joshua, losing this time by knockout. However, he still walked away with a reported $20 million payday. 

As a result, Ngannous has earned an estimated $30 million from just two boxing bouts, averaging $15 million per fight. Assuming we take his word of earning in the ballpark of $5 million from all fourteen of his fights in the UFC, his average paycheck would have been just $357,000.

 

Summary 

Francis Ngannou has come a long way since his days of poverty in Cameroon and working odd jobs in Paris. After making his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ngannou became one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. Throughout his career, Ngannou has established himself as one of the richest and most successful MMA fighters.

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MMA Fighters

Wanderlei Silva Net Worth

Wanderlei Silva was one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts during his career which included a lengthy and lucrative run as the Pride Middleweight Champion.

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Wanderlei Silva Net Worth
Net Worth:$18 Million
Age:49
Born:July 3, 1976
Gender:Male
Height:1.8 m
Country of Origin:Brazil
Source of Wealth:Professional MMA Fighter
Last Updated:Oct 7, 2025

Introduction

Wanderlei Silva is a Brazilian-American former professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $18 Million.

 

Before Wealth & Fame

Wanderlei Silva was born on July 3, 1976, in Curitiba, Brazil, and began practicing martial arts, including kickboxing and Muay Thai, at a young age.

Silva was fighting bare-knuckle in his amateur days, suffering some injuries along the way that he would recover from quickly. Just a few months after his 20th birthday, Silva would make his professional MMA debut and start his career 4-0 before his first loss to Artur Mariano. Silva lost his second match the following year, this time to Vitor Belfort, but Silva would quickly recover and go on a hot streak.

 

MMA Career 

In April 1999, Wanderlei Silva became the IVC Light Heavyweight Champion, earning his first title and securing a contract with Dana White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Silva quickly earned a title shot for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but lost via decision to Tito Ortiz. This launched a long winning streak for Silva, as he left the UFC for Pride Fighting Championships. He went on to an 18-match undefeated streak, including fights against Mirko Cro Cop, Quinton Jackson, and Yuki Kondo.

Since the end of 2004, Silva has experienced both professional losses and wins, but has had memorable matches against notable opponents such as Michael BispingChuck Liddell, and Brian Stann, ultimately finishing his career with a record of 35 wins, 14 losses, one draw, and one no-contest.

 

Fight Earnings

Despite fighting 49 times during his professional career, there’s not a whole lot of information surrounding Wanderlei Silva’s individual fight earnings. Nonetheless, here’s what we know.

For Silva’s fight against Rampage Jackson at Bellator 206 in 2018, he reportedly earned $200,000, while Rampage earned $300,000. Regarding the UFC, Wanderlei typically earned a base purse of $200,000 per fight. This includes his bouts with Chris Leben at UFC 132, Cung Le at UFC 139, and Rich Franklin at UFC 147. He also secured a $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus against Cung Le, bringing his total to $270,000.

Those three UFC fights alone earned Wanderlei Silva approximately $670,000. While we don’t have specific figures for any of his other individual purses, Dana White has previously claimed that Silva earned $9.7 million during his tenure with the organization. This was in response to Silva’s claim that fighters were underpaid, and in response, Dana stated:

“You know how much money Wanderlei Silva has made since he’s been with the UFC? $9.7 million.”

 

How Does Wanderlei Silva Spend His Money?

Silva has a couple of BMWs that he enjoys driving, and his house in Las Vegas is estimated to be worth around $200,000. He also owns a home in his Brazilian hometown, splitting his time between the two houses while operating a training facility in Nevada.

 

Personal Life

Since 2002, Silva has been married to his wife, Tea, with the couple having a son named Thor, as well as a daughter from a previous relationship. He has split his time between the United States and Brazil, his home country, throughout his adult life, and now resides in Curitiba, Brazil.

In 2009, Silva founded his own MMA training organization, called Wand Fight Team, which is based in Las Vegas and has coaches in several forms of martial arts.

 

Summary 

Making it as a professional mixed martial artist for two years is hard enough, but Wanderlei Silva was able to stay at the top of the MMA world for 22 years. Though the back end of his career included a lot of losses, it also brought a lot of big paydays for the former Pride Middleweight Champion. Now a member of the Hall of Fame, the MMA fighter can enjoy retirement in Las Vegas and Brazil, knowing that his career was among the best.

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