A true torchbearer, Serena Williams has consistently championed women in sports and beyond. Her post-retirement ventures like Serene Ventures and Wyn Beauty echoing her commitment to equality. While specific earnings from these businesses remain private, her estimated $340 million net worth, fueled by a $94.8 million career prize and savvy off-court endeavors, speaks volumes. Recently, Sportico released a list of the highest-paid athletes, and Serena features there yet again!
Released on April 22, Sportico released its list of the 50 highest-paid athletes of all time. The group has earned a staggering $53.2 billion and $37.7 billion nominally through 2024. Eight sports and 16 nations are represented in this list. For the most part, NBA players dominate, led by Michael Jordan’s legendary Nike earnings. However, Americans claim 32 spots out of the 50.
And in this, Serena stands out— lands at No. 40 with an eye-popping $660 million, a notable increase from her $600 million in 2023. This significant earning power is fueled by a combination of factors even after her retirement from professional tennis in 2022. Her remarkable career prize money, totaling around $94.8 million – the highest in women’s tennis history – laid a strong foundation.
While her career prize money set a record, long-term endorsements were key. Her Nike partnership, since 2003, includes her signature apparel line. Not to mention, throughout her career, she also partnered with Gatorade, JPMorgan Chase, Audemars Piguet, and Beats by Dre, reaching an estimated peak of $45 million annually from endorsements alone.
Now, she’s the only woman from tennis to break into this elite financial echelon. And this puts her ahead of Maria Sharapova and her sister Venus Williams, who both appear in the next 50. This leap highlights her smooth transition off the court.
*** NUR FUeR REDAKTIONELLE ZWECKE *** EDITORIAL USE ONLY ***OMR 23. Online Marketing Rockstars Festival in den Messehallen. Conference. Openinmg von OMR Gruender Tennis Legende Serena Williams Foto: Marcelo Hernandez/ Funke Foto Services Hamburg Copyright: MarceloxHernandezx/xFUNKExFotoxServices *** FOR EDITORIAL PURPOSES ONLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY p OMR 23 Online Marketing Rockstars Festival in the exhibition halls Conference Openinmg of OMR founder tennis legend Serena Williams Photo Marcelo Hernandez Funke Foto Services Hamburg Copyright MarceloxHernandezx xFUNKExFotoxServices Copyright: MarceloxHernandezx/xFUNKExFotoxServices doc7q57vvhtr6s55n9h9z4 ,EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Her financial firepower now comes mostly from endorsements and her growing business empire—Serena Ventures and Wyn Beauty. Serena Ventures, launched in 2017, raised $111 million for its first fund. It has invested in over 60 companies, with 79% founded by underrepresented individuals and 54% by women. Fourteen of these companies have reached unicorn status.
Fun Fact: With a cool $340 million net worth as of February 2025, Serena Williams snagged the #97 spot on Forbes’ 2024 “America’s Self-Made Women” list!
Even in retirement, Serena is a magnet for brands. She keeps old partnerships strong and forges new ones, boosting her earnings. Her role as executive producer for the acclaimed film “King Richard” also showcases her growing influence in new industries.
The film garnered significant critical acclaim, earning a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Will Smith’s portrayal of her father. However, its box office performance was modest, grossing approximately $39.5 million worldwide against a $50 million budget, likely impacted by its concurrent release on HBO Max during the pandemic.
The landscape for the highest-earning female athletes is changing fast. Coco Gauff, at just 21, became the world’s highest-paid female athlete in 2024, earning $30.4 million—$9.4 million on-court and $21 million from endorsements. Serena Williams’ historic earnings and ongoing business wins cement her as a financial titan in sports. But it always comes with a price! And we’re not talking about money.
Serena reveals the true cost of running successful businesses
The 23 time Grand Slam champion is living her best “mom life” and she’s not shy about it. In November 2024, the tennis legend got candid, saying, “I am obsessed with my children. I spend all day with them. I have my schedule or my work schedule, like my whole life is like ok, being with Olympia, being with Adira.” Even when school gets canceled and the kids are underfoot, she laughs it off—because, as she puts it, “they be hanging around all day. And I love, believe me, I love it.”
But motherhood isn’t her only passion project. Williams made a major entrepreneurial splash in April 2024 with the launch of WYN Beauty, her clean, high-performance makeup line. The brand, which rolled out in Ulta Beauty stores nationwide, was inspired by Serena’s own struggles to find makeup that worked for her skin tone and her busy, on-the-go lifestyle. WYN Beauty is all about inclusivity, offering 91 shades across 10 products, and comes in bold, tennis-ball-green packaging—a nod to her iconic career.
Williams is hands-on with her business, popping up at Ulta stores and celebrating WYN Beauty’s one-year anniversary with a special Shopify event in April 2025. But she’s honest about the price of success. “Yeah, it definitely costs a lot,” she told People Magazine. “I’m here [in California] without my kids, and that’s a big cost for me because I spend a lot of time with my children, and they’re very attached to me, which a part of me loves. So, it’s always some cost.” For Serena, the real expense isn’t measured in dollars, but in missed moments with family and friends.
After conquering tennis and now the beauty aisle, she says she’s not rushing into any new mega-business ventures. “I’m done!” she laughed. “I’m not launching anything else like this. I just am happy doing WYN Beauty. And I’m happy being a mom and I’m happy with my venture company, and that’s a lot. We’re good!” With her signature energy and honesty, Serena Williams is still winning—this time, on her own terms.
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