Mike Tyson fought Razor Ruddock twice in 1991 (Image: Getty)
escaped a tough upbringing in New York to become one of the richest athletes of his generation – but he still lost every penny of his fortune by the age of 37.
‘Iron Mike’ was a sensation in the 1980s and 1990s, going undefeated in his first 37 bouts and cleaning opponents out with his fearsome power. Tyson’s brazen personality and deadly trash talking only heightened his fame, with eyes drawn to his fights from around the world.
By 2003, when his professional career was winding down, Tyson had reportedly racked up an astonishing fortune of around . But that was also the year every penny of it went down the drain after a string of ludicrous purchases.
Tyson filed for bankruptcy in £18m worth of debt and with around £10.5m owed in taxes, which begs the question: How did he spend so much, so quickly?
How Mike Tyson blew his fortune
Tyson was from a poor family growing up in the Brownsville area of New York. And he did not shy away from splashing out on a hoard of big-ticket items once his ascent from rags to riches was complete.
His mega-mansion with 25 bathrooms, its own nightclub and a recording studio was, at one point, the most-expensive house ever sold in the state of Connecticut. Tyson lived there for a while before selling it to rapper 50 Cent after declaring bankruptcy.
That was just one of the lavish properties which made up his portfolio.
A sprawling Ohio dwelling boasted cages for his three Bengal tigers which – even in 1990s money – set Tyson back an estimated £55,000 each, as well as over £250k per year, per tiger, to take care of.
Mike Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003 (Image: Getty)
Tyson’s lucrative lifestyle also extended to what he put in and around his mansions. He bought a gold bath worth an eye-watering £1.7m as a gift for his first wife, Robin Givens, and spent around £235k per year on gardeners.
In the driveway was an incredible car collection. Tyson is believed to have purchased more than 100 cars and bikes, including a fleet of 19 supercars for members of his entourage.
He hosted a 30th birthday party at one of his mansions which, according to Tyson himself, required 13 chefs cooking in their own separate kitchens, a man specifically brought in to roll cigars, and 40 bodyguards. The bill clocked in at over £320k.
It should be no surprise that, while living a life of such opulence, Tyson placed a great deal of importance on looking the part. He spent an estimated £80k per month on clothes and jewellery, but would occasionally go higher.
During a shopping spree in just one London jewellery store in the year 2000, Tyson is said to have splashed £540k in one sitting.
But a tragic turn of events eventually saw the boxer’s life spiral out of control. Having burned through all his cash and seen his glory days as a fighter vanish in the rear-view mirror, Tyson spent his last million dollars on going to rehab for drug addiction.
“It all went crazy and lasted between 15 and 16 years,” he said. “It seemed like a lot of money but eventually it was gone.”
Tyson has been seen ringside, in films and on podcasts since his last professional fight in 2005. But he came back to the ring for his first big payday in almost two decades last month, fighting YouTube star Jake Paul for a reported £16m purse.