Beckham was born into a middle-class family that supported him in his desire to play on the field. In September 1992, he debuted at 17 for Manchester United, with whom he won 14 titles, including six Premier Leagues and a Champions League. This achievement brought great happiness to his father, a fervent team supporter. During his 11 seasons at Manchester, he became an icon beyond sports, as his talent, physique, and sculpted body made him a magnet for brands.
Additionally, he became the most media-covered footballer since meeting Victoria Adams in 1997, who was making waves worldwide with the Spice Girls group. The athlete was quite shy and found it difficult to approach Victoria and her friends after a match. She gave him her phone number, and according to Andrew Morton's biography, the singer reportedly said, "if you don't call me, next time I see you, I'll kick you in the balls."
Initially, they kept their relationship secret, even meeting in a parking lot to avoid paparazzi since they were both stars. Two years later, they married in an Irish castle and have had four children, Brooklyn (26), Romeo (22), Cruz (20), and Harper (13). Undoubtedly, all of them have influenced David to become one of the most significant money-making machines in recent decades.
During his contract with Manchester, he earned around 1.7 million euros per season, excluding bonuses, an amount that was six times higher than the average Premier League player. But in 2003, he joined Real Madrid's ranks, which had paid 35 million euros for his transfer. In the four seasons he spent in the capital, the club earned 440 million euros through marketing and commercial activities. To give an idea, the club amortized the signing because in the first six months, they sold a million jerseys. It was said he earned 18 million euros per season in Spain. Despite Spain not being his cup of tea, the business turned out to be very profitable for the Beckhams. He was the ultimate galactic star.
By 2004, he was considered the highest-paid footballer in the world thanks to his lucrative advertising contracts with brands like Police sunglasses and Burmah Castro lubricants. Later, deals with H&M, Pepsi, and Adidas, which paid him exclusively 150 million euros. The various style changes driven by Victoria, the mastermind behind the fashion victim she has turned her husband into, led to a significant increase in the number of sponsorships and brand ambassador roles.
In 2007, he decided to leave Madrid to the astonishment of Ramón Calderón, who was puzzled by his move to Los Angeles Galaxy - an MLS team in the United States - where he would only earn 6 million euros annually. However, Beckham was strategic, as he and his agent managed to sign a tremendously lucrative deal that included a good percentage of merchandising sales, ticket sales, and consumption by fans at the stadium. He also secured a clause allowing him to buy an MLS franchise for 25 million dollars.
His playing career had more ups and downs than Victoria's search for the perfect mansion in the most upscale areas of Los Angeles and its surroundings like Bel Air or Beverly Hills. While in California, David earned 32 million euros as a player, another 18 million from ticket sales, consumption, and merchandising, and over 200 million euros solely from sponsorship contracts. In 2012, he ended his time at Los Angeles Galaxy and at 37, he joined Paris Saint Germain, where he earned 800,000 euros monthly. However, he donated all his earnings to various social institutions. In 2013, he announced his retirement as a player.
David could now live his life as he pleased, so he invoked the clause signed with Los Angeles Galaxy and kept his word. He purchased Inter Miami for only 25 million dollars from the MLS, and after leaving Barça, he signed Messi for 54 million euros plus sponsorship bonuses. Beckham had made the deal of his life because before Messi's arrival, the team's market value reached 585 million euros. Currently, that value stands at an incredible nearly 1.2 billion euros.
Despite the Beckhams constantly traveling around the world, they divide their main residence between London, specifically in a 34.6 million euro Victorian mansion in Holland Park, and Miami. On the Atlantic coast, they own two million-dollar properties that would outshine other movie stars' residences, with their 1,300-square-meter apartment in Miami costing 40 million euros and later acquiring a mansion in Miami Beach for 66.3 million euros.
Undoubtedly, David Beckham has become his own brand. Consequently, he continues to generate practically indescribable amounts of money. For instance, early in his career, Gillette paid him 50 million euros in 2004 for a five-year contract to shave his head, and in 2022, he signed a deal to be the face of the Qatar World Cup for 175 million euros.
After his retirement, Beckham founded the investment company DB Ventures in 2014, responsible for managing his activities and agreements with Adidas and the watch brand Tudor. In early 2022, he sold 55% of the shares to Authentic Brands Group (ABC) - a brand management company - for 238.2 million euros. Last spring, he won a lawsuit against counterfeiters of his items - glasses, shirts, beauty products, balls - who were supposed to pay him 281 million euros.