Rich Dudes│How Golf Legend Phil Mickelson Built and Invested His $400M Net Worth

Philip Alfred Mickelson has not only made a name for himself on the golf course but also in the world of business and philanthropy. Known by his nickname "Lefty," Mickelson has won numerous accolades throughout his career as a professional golfer and has amassed a net worth of approximately $400 million.

Phil Mickelson net worth at a glance:

Phil's father, Philip Mickelson Sr., was a navy pilot and real estate investor who worked several jobs to support the family. Lefty was raised in a middle-class home in San Diego, California. He was the oldest of three children, and his mother, Mary, was a homemaker.

Mickelson got his start at Arizona State University on a golf scholarship and worked hard to make it to the professional circuit. Mickelson showed promise in 1991 after winning his first PGA tour event as an amateur, which enabled him to break into the pros the following year.

Phil Mickelson's net worth is estimated to be $400 million. He has earned around $800 million in prize money, endorsements, and other income over his golf career. Lefty earned about $87 million in prize money from golf tournaments and approximately $720 million in endorsements from major brands such as KPMG, Rolex, Workday, and Amgen. Forbes estimates that his annual earnings from winnings, endorsements, and other activities is around $50 million.

If we count his earnings from every PGA tour event he participated in, Mickelson has won nearly $91 million in prize money. Lefty's largest golf win ever was $2 million at the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Mickelson has earned millions of dollars in sponsorships throughout his career. He's made deals with companies like Callaway Golf and ExxonMobil.

According to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine, Lefty has signed a massive contract with LIV, the Saudi-backed golf tournament series. Romine reported that Mickelson's contract is worth around $200 million and includes an upfront payment of $100 million. The Saudi-backed series is a three-event series that's set to take place in the Middle East and Asia.

The contract involves Mickelson playing in all three events, which will include public appearances, clinics, and a mentorship. The $200 million contract is the largest ever for a golfer, leading Mickelson to surpass Lionel Messi as the world's highest-paid athlete in 2022. Lefty is netting a cool $138 million—$8 million more than the soccer superstar.

Mickelson is one of the most successful golfers in history and has been able to take his success off the fairways when it comes to real estate, cars, and collectibles.

How much did Phil Mickelson earn playing golf?

Phil Mickelson has earned over $95 million in prize money from golf tournaments since beginning his professional career in 1992. This makes him the second-highest awarded golfer behind only Tiger Woods.

Phil is a prolific investor, putting the wealth he earned from playing golf into startups, real estate, and tangible assets like cars and watches.

Startups

In 2010, Mickelson was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. After consulting with a rheumatologist, he began to take a more holistic approach to his health and wellness. With the help of Dave Phillips, a longtime friend and co-founder of the Titleist Performance Institute, he launched For Wellness. This company is designed to promote healthy food and beverage products.

As part of their product line, Mickelson and Phillips developed whole-bean coffee, low-calorie Superfood Energy Bites, high-oxidant coffee pods, and The Good Stuff coffee packs. Mickelson lost 30 pounds and enhanced his general health in 2021 by incorporating these into his diet. He demonstrated his dedication to improving health and wellness by investing in For Wellness.

In an Interview, Phil mentioned that when it comes to his health, coffee is the biggest thing for him. Since it's difficult to value a private company like this one, we can only assume Phil Mickelson’s food ventures bring in anywhere between $5 and $10 million in revenue.

Interested in investing in private companies? Dizraptor enables accredited investors to buy the pre-IPO shares of early- and mid-stage startups. They provide access to investments in private companies so you can earn returns when the company is eventually acquired or goes public.

Real estate

While it's impossible to report an exact figure of the value of Mickelson's real estate, it has been estimated that Mickelson's real estate investments are worth around $100 million.

Lefty has diversified his portfolio and grew his net worth with several real estate investments over the years.

• In 2007, he purchased a 25,000-square-foot estate in Rancho Santa Fe, California, for $9 million, now valued at $17 million. This estate includes a two-story main house, a pool and spa, a two-story guesthouse, and a four-car garage. 
• In 2008, Phil bought a 9,000-square-foot condominium near the golf course in Rancho Santa Fe for $3.8 million. 
• Mickelson also invested in a commercial building in La Jolla, California, for $4 million 
• Mickelson went to Arizona State University, so it makes sense that he has a $2 million home in Scottsdale, Arizona. 
• Lefty purchased a $2.2 million home in the La Jolla Country Club in 2012, which includes a fitness center, pool, and tennis court.

The six golf courses Phil invested in are: 

1. Groves at Scholls Ferry Golf Course (Oregon) 
2. The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe (California) 
3. Torrey Pines (California) 
4. Coronado Golf Course (California) 
5. The Grand Golf Club (California) 
6. The Riviera Country Club (California)

Lefty owns five Five Guys franchise locations across the San Diego, California area, including ones in Mira Mesa, Carmel Mountain, La Costa, Encinitas, and Carlsbad.

The estimated cost to buy a Five Guys restaurant ranges from $400,000 to $600,000. This includes the franchise fee and other startup costs. This means Lefty has invested around $2.5 million in the hamburger restaurant franchise—a modest amount of Phil Mickelson's net worth.

Private jet

Phil Mickelson owns a Gulfstream V. The jet—which has a 19-person capacity, a range of about 7,500 miles, and costs $40 million—takes up as much of Phil Mickelson's net worth as his real estate assets, so it's likely his largest single investment.

The plane makes it easy to travel comfortably and peacefully either domestically or abroad. With this plane, Lefty can quickly travel to different golfing events without having to deal with commercial airlines. Plus, he can rent out the plane when he's not using it to make some extra cash.

Watches

Mickelson owns a range of luxury watches varying in quality, rarity, and price. Some of his watches are estimated to be worth around $100,000, while others may be worth several million dollars.

These watches include a limited edition Richard Mille RM 052 Tourbillon Skull watch, estimated to be worth around $1.8 million. Lefty also owns a rare Everose Yacht-Master (ref. 116655) with a black ceramic bezel and a black Oysterflex bracelet worth between $25,000 and $30,000.

Cars

Lefty is also an avid collector of cars and motorcycles. Some of the luxury cars he owns are an Aston Martin DB2/4, Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder, and Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. He also has a large collection of motorcycles, including Ducati, BMW, and Triumph.

• Aston Martin DB2/4: $1.25 million 
• Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder: $2.5 million
• Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster: $1.5 million 

1. Take calculated risks

2. Think big

3. Have a long-term perspective