Britain’s top 10 wealthiest people in sport have been named, with Lewis Hamilton, Harry Kane and Rory McIlroy all featuring.<\/p>\n
It’s no secret that the sporting industry can make you very, very rich, with athletes among some of the highest paid people in the world.<\/p>\n
Despite only having a population of approximately 69.9 million as of May 2026, the United Kingdom has produced more than its fair share of sporting stars over the years.<\/p>\n
The likes of Formula One<\/a> great Sir Lewis Hamilton<\/a>, Golf<\/a> legend McIlroy<\/a>, England<\/a> captain Kane<\/a> and dozens of top footballers have all hailed from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n However, like any industry, there are some sports stars that have made considerably more than others, with some even boasting net worths over \u00a31billion.<\/p>\n And The Sunday Times<\/a> have compiled the top 10 biggest earners in British Sport in the 2026 Rich List.<\/p>\n 1 – Bernie Ecclestone and family – \u00a32bn<\/p>\n Topping the list is Bernard Ecclestone, the British business giant, motorsport executive and former racing driver who founded the Formula One Group back in 1987.<\/p>\n Ecclestone helped transform F1 into the global sport it is today and remained in charge of the motorsport for over 40 years before giving up his role in 2017.<\/p>\n But throughout his career Ecclestone has been involved in various controversies, and just last year was sentenced to 17 months in jail, suspended for two years while paying a civil settlement of \u00a3652million after pleading guilty in a tax fraud case.<\/p>\n 2 – Sir David and Victoria Beckham – \u00a31.185bn<\/p>\n Widely regarded as the biggest and most famous couple in sport, the Beckhams<\/a> have transformed their name into a global brand.<\/p>\n Following David’s massive success as a player for the likes of Manchester United<\/a>, Real Madrid<\/a> and AC Milan and Victoria becoming a pop superstar with the Spice Girls, the pair have launched several major business ventures.<\/p>\n In 2007, David secured a contract option to purchase Inter Miami CF which has since became one of the biggest clubs outside of the top five leagues.<\/p>\n Meanwhile Victoria launched Victoria Beckham Fashion, which is believed to be worth nine figures itself.<\/p>\n 3 – Barry and Eddie Hearn – \u00a31.035bn<\/p>\n The Hearn family is boxing<\/a> royalty having helped make some of the biggest names in boxing into the biggest names across all sports.<\/p>\n Matchroom Sport was founded in 1982 by Barry and was handed over to his son and current chairman, Eddie<\/a>, in April 2021.<\/p>\n Between the pair of them, the Hearns have promoted the likes of Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, as well as modern stars like Anthony Joshua<\/a> and Katie Taylor and made over a billion in the process.<\/p>\n 4 – Ben Francis – \u00a3800m<\/p>\n Although he doesn’t work directly in sports, Francis has become a key player in the industry after founding Gymshark in 2012.<\/p>\n In doing so, Francis went from a pizza delivery boy to the UK\u2019s youngest billionaire ($1.2b) at just 33 years old.<\/p>\n 5 – Sir Lewis Hamilton – \u00a3435m<\/p>\n As arguably the greatest motorsports athlete of all time, it comes as not surprise that Hamilton makes the top five.<\/p>\n Hamilton shares the record for the most World Drivers’ Championship titles (seven) with Michael Schumacher and holds the all-time F1 records for most wins (105), most pole positions (104), and most podium finishes (over 200).<\/p>\n 6 – Tom and Phil Beahon – \u00a3350m<\/p>\n Similar to Francis, brothers Tom and Phil Beahon have found their fortune in the sports apparel industry after founding sportswear brand Castore in 2015.<\/p>\n In 2019, Castore signed their first flagship athlete, Sir Andy Murray<\/a>, and it has since gone on to work with Gary Neville, McLaren Formula 1 team, Wolves, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Sevilla, Bayer Leverkusen and several other teams and athletes.<\/p>\n 7 – Rory McIlroy – \u00a3325m<\/p>\n McIlroy cemented himself in the history of British and Irish sport in April 2025 as he finally won the Masters to become only the just the sixth golfer to complete a career Grand Slam.<\/p>\n The Northern Irishman is also just the second golfer to have amassed over $100 million in official PGA Tour career earnings, after Tiger Woods.<\/p>\n Alongside his earnings on the golf course, McIlroy also has secured several long-term endorsements with the likes of Nike and TaylorMade.<\/p>\n 8 – Anthony Joshua – \u00a3240m<\/p>\n As a two-time unified heavyweight champion, Joshua has commanded massive purses from high-profile fights in Saudi Arabia and the UK against opponents, with pay-per-view earnings, sponsorships with and investments through his company, 258 Group, contributing to his wealth.<\/p>\n In his most recent bout, against YouTube boxer Jake Paul, it is believed Joshua earned around \u00a370-75m <\/a>for one of the easiest nights of his career, picking up a knockout in the sixth round.<\/p>\n 9 – Tyson Fury – \u00a3162m<\/p>\n