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

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

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. 

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

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.

Introduction

Sebastian Vettel is a German former professional race car driver with an estimated net worth of $140 Million.

Vettel competed in Formula 1 for 16 years, competing in 299 races and recording 53 wins and 3,098 points. During his career, he earned approximately $367.82 million from salary and bonuses, averaging $22.99 million/year.

However, the above figures don’t account for 100% of Vettel’s income. He also typically earned $1 million/year from various endorsement deals, but began declining sponsorships toward the end of his career.

Vettel won the World Drivers’ Championship at the youngest age of any driver in history and became the youngest driver to win the double, triple, and quadruple world championships in Formula One. He previously raced for Red Bull, Toro Rosso, BMW, and Ferrari Scuderia and is one of only four drivers to have won four or more championships in Formula One.

Quick Facts

• Earned over $320 million between 2012 and his retirement
• Peak annual income of $42.3 million in 2017
• Typically earned between $300,000 and $1 million per year off-track
• Sponsors included Braun, Casio, and Head & Shoulders, among others

Earnings History

Before we go into more detail on Sebastian Vettel’s Formula One contracts, annual salary, and some of the other ways he’s bolstered his income over the years, let’s summarize his career earnings. In the 2010s and early 2020s, Forbes consistently ranked Vettel among the highest-paid drivers in Formula One.

Between 2012 and 2019, he was a consistent entry on the list, typically earning between $18 million and $42 million annually from all endeavors. This includes not only his F1 salary but also additional income from bonuses, licensing royalties, and brand endorsement agreements. That said, his base salary typically accounted for well over 90% of his total annual income, as you’ll find out shortly.

For the first few years of the decade, Sebastian Vettel earned between $18 million and $19 million per year. The major shift in his annual income occurred in 2014, when he signed his first three-year contract with Ferrari, resulting in an estimated $33 million that year. During his time at Ferrari from 2015 through 2020, Vettel’s annual earnings never dipped below $36 million, reaching a career high of $42.3 million midway through his tenure.

Vettel’s final appearance on the annual Forbes list was in 2022, during his last year with Aston Martin, when he earned approximately $17 million. This brought his total earnings from 2012 to 2022 to at least $285.4 million (likely exceeding $320 million when including 2020 and 2021).

Formula One Contracts & Salary

Upon researching how much money Sebastien Vettel earned in Formula One, the only figures we couldn’t find were for his initial season at BMW Sauber in 2006. Based on the information available, Vettel earned at least $368.8 million in base salary during his Formula One tenure. This figure doesn’t include his additional earnings from brand endorsements, licensing, and so on. These earnings were split primarily between three teams: Red Bull, Ferrari, and Aston Martin.

Endorsement Income

Throughout his career, Sebastian Vettel earned a small portion of his income off the track through endorsement deals; however, these earnings weren’t substantial compared with his on-track salary in Formula One. According to Forbes, Vettel’s annual endorsement income typically ranged from $300,000 to $1 million, accounting for less than 3% of his total income.

Which companies paid him the most money is unknown, as none of his contracts with these brands have been publicly disclosed. However, that said, we do have a list of all the partnerships Vettel secured during his career, which includes companies such as:

• Braun (men’s grooming)
• BWT (Best Water Technology)
• Casio (watches)
• Head & Shoulders (hair care)
• Infiniti (automaker)
• Shell (fuel and auto lubricant)
• Pepe Jeans (clothing)
• Tirendo (tires)

Based on the information available to us, we estimate that Sebastian Vettel earned between $5 million and $10 million from brand endorsements over the course of his Formula One career.

How Does Sebastian Vettel Spend His Money?

Vettel is concerned about environmental and social justice issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and supports them. He has helped children build beehives to prevent an agricultural crisis caused by declining bee numbers across Europe.

Vettel has raised the ire of the Canadian government with his rants about the Alberta tar sands petroleum extraction. However, as he drives for Aston Martin, which manufactures some of the most expensive cars in the world and is sponsored by the petroleum company Saudi Aramco, it’s a bit hypocritical of him.

He owns a modest farmhouse in the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland, worth an estimated $7 million, and is said to own other property in the area. However, he is extremely secretive about his financial position and has requested that the authorities remove his land registration details from their online records.

Summary 

It is difficult to predict what Sebastian Vettel will do next, as he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone and has the wealth, resources, and willpower to achieve whatever he wants. Many people are still shocked by the news of his departure from Formula One, as it marks the end of an era. In his recent interview, he mentioned wanting more family time, which is understandable given that he prioritizes it above all else.