- Former NFL star Jim Brown has a net worth estimated at over $30 million
- He made his fortune from his career as an American footballer, actor, and sports commentator
- Arguably the greatest running quarterback of all time, he has also lost money in the past in divorces and crossings with the law
Regarded as one of the National Football League’s greatest running backs of all time, Jim Brown’s Net Worth in 2022 is projected to be over $30 million. Born and raised on St Simons Island in Georgia, 89 years old Jim was able to amass his wealth mainly from football and acting. He however has earned a paltry sum through sports analysis and other investment schemes.
Though he retired from football in July 1966 after 9 seasons in Cleveland Browns as the NFL leading rusher, Brown has remained rich and relevant courtesy of his new entertainment career path. In 1964, the American-born joined Hollywood after playing Buffalo Soldier in the western action film, Rio Conchos. He has continued to feather his nest with dozens of other interesting movies like The Dirty Dozen (1967), Dark Of The Sun (1968), and Sucker Free City (2004).
Be that as it may, Jim’s life has not been void of troubles and controversies; mostly related to assault, battery, and other forms of domestic violence. Despite the fact that he could be extravagant on drinks, getting caught in the tight fist of prosecuting authorities has also caused him to lose lots of money over the years.
Early Background of Jim Brown
Nathaniel was welcomed to the world on the 17th of February 1936 by his parents Swinton and Theresa in St Simons Island, Georgia. He was however raised by his grandmother until he moved to New York at the age of 8 to join his mother who worked as a domestic and to also further his high school education.
The football star used to be an all-around sportsman who played several games. He won 13 letters in football, lacrosse, baseball, basketball, and running track while in high school. His passion for sports continued to wax stronger. He sustained the drive till college where he got his breakthrough.
Jim Brown’s Career Journey
In Sports
Brown went pro in 1957 when he began playing football under the canopy of the Cleveland Browns. Though he is better known in the game of football, Nathaniel has always been an all-around sportsman. As a sophomore at Syracuse University in 1954, he became the 2nd leading rusher on his team who rushed for 676 yards as a teenager, and by his senior year in 1956, he became a consensus first-team All-American.
He recorded great success as a multisport athlete who excelled in basketball, track, and lacrosse. In his second year in college, he became a leading scorer for his basketball team and was also proficient in tack and field-related activities.
For almost a decade, Jim played for Cleveland Brown without changing teams until when he announced his retirement in 1965. The star did lots of exploits within a not too long period of time on the pitch. He is now a well-respected voice in the game of football and serves as a special advisor to the Cleveland Browns.
Before retiring, the star had numerous accolades. These include; Induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. He was again inducted into the Syracuse hall of fame and Lacrosse hall of fame as well, giving him the exceptional opportunity to appear 3 times in a similar honor category.
On the Screens
Jim began to explore the screens in 1964, two years before he bid football goodbye. His Debut movie Rio Conchos paved the way for him in the entertainment industry. His first lead role was in The Split (1968). The movie was based on a Parker novel by Donald E. Westlake. Brown was paid a huge sum of $125,000 for the role.
He has since remained active in front of the camera with movies like The black Godfather (2019 documentary), Draft Day (@014), Sideliners (2006), and The Divine Encounter (1992).
As a Commentator
Brown became the first black televised boxing announcer in 1965 when he announced a boxing match in the U.S for the Terrel Chuvalo fight. This feat opened up another opportunity for him to be hired in 1993 as a color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He occupied this role for the first six pay-per-view events.
How Jim Brown Made His Money
Jim Brown’s net worth was undoubtedly assembled chiefly from his 8 productive years in football and his later promising T.V career. Though it is widely reported that he is worth $30 million, other sources have estimated him to be up to $50 million.
He has so far featured in over 54 movies and documentaries, with each paying the star thousands of dollars. He received $35,000 for the 1964 Rio Conchos movie. He also received $125 after featuring in The Split (1968). One of Jim’s highest cash outs was from 100 Rifles (1969) where he was paid $200,000. He was also said to have a salary worth over $60 thousand when he was still active on the pitch.
Though it is not certain how much he made as a commentator, Jim has also used this medium as one of the channels of making his money. His work as a color analyst on NFL telecast for CBS in 1978 has also contributed to his fortune.
Brown further owns part of the New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse. New York Lizards is a football team in Hempstead. He joined other investors to purchase the team in 2012 and has since then remained a shareholder of the team.
He Lost a Lot of Money in Legal Battles
No doubt, Brown rose to become a multimillion-dollar celebrity owing to his involvement with sports, movies, and other entertainment platforms. Unfortunately, his continuous association with violence, battery, and assault has continued to suck his pockets dry. Jim Brown’s net worth started shrinking when his first wife sued for divorce for alleged gross neglect, Jim was ordered to be paying $2,500 every month in alimony and $100 weekly for child support.
Brown was further ordered in 1968 to pay a $3000 fine for striking a deputy sheriff who was investigating an alleged assault case involving him and one Eva Bohn-Chin.
Again in 1975, Brown was convicted of beating and choking Frank Snow, his golfing partner. He was fined $500. He was again fined $1,800 for ignoring the terms of his sentence after he made terroristic threats to his wife.
Away from his legal battles, brown appears to be a lover of a good and pretty expensive life. He was spotted having his 84th birthday in an exotic private jet. He also appears to have a soft spot for expensive drinks like the all-famous Hennesy.
SEE ALSO: Ric Flair Net Worth In 2021- How He Made, Lost, And Spends His Fortune
7 Quick Facts About Jim Brown
1. Jim’s father Swinton Brown was a professional boxer. Not much is known about his life except that he abandoned Jim and his mother when he was just two weeks old.
2. In September 1974, Jim Brown posed in the nude for Playgirl magazine. He is one out of very few celebrities that have made the full-frontal page of the magazine before the likes of Big Daddy Kane and Keith Urban.
3. He founded the Al-I-Can program in 1993. The initiative is geared towards working with juveniles caught up in the gang scene in Los Angelis and Cleveland. He also seeks to provide life management skills to persons on the streets and in the prisons.
4. Brown initiated a lawsuit against Sonny and EA sports in 2008 for using his likeness in the Madden NFL video game series. According to him, he never signed any paper permitting that his like or image be used for any such purpose.
5. Jim used to be a civil rights activist, especially while he was active on the pitch. He is known for speaking in favor of Mohammed Ali’s decision to refuse military induction and other issues that relate to racism and injustice.
6. Brown alongside the African American rapper Kanye West has met with former U.S president Donald Trump. The duo met the president on October 11 2018 to talk about the state of America and other relevant issues.
7. Nathaniel was part of America’s Army Reserve. He was commissioned in the U.S Army in 1957 as a 2nd Lieutenant after graduating from Syracuse. Reports have it that he was honorably discharged from the Army reserve as a captain.
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