Roger Staubach is a Dallas Cowboys legend (Image: Getty)
You would be forgiven for assuming the world’s richest star is perhaps New England Patriots icon , yet the honour actually lies with former Dallas Cowboys star Roger Staubach.
Staubach, 82, is best known as an ex-quarterback for and a two-time champion. From 1969 to 1979, ‘Captain America’, as he was dubbed, turned the Dallas franchise into a force to be reckoned with.
Yet it’s since his retirement 46 years ago that he’s has accumulated an astonishing estimated wealth of £483million ($600m). Such is his financial might, he actually towers above Brady, who currently sits on an approximate £250m ($300m).
Staubach’s story reads like an American fairytale. Born in Cincinnati in 1942, the former QB joined the military in 1961 and even volunteered for a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam. Upon exiting the US Navy, the Cowboys selected him in the 1964 NFL Draft.
He would go on to lead the Cowboys to 10 consecutive victories, including the team’s first-ever Super Bowl win in 1972 against the Miami Dolphins. In 1977, he led the Cowboys to their second triumph in at Super Bowl XII, beating the Denver Broncos.
After 11 NFL seasons spent with the Cowboys, Staubach announced his retirement in 1979 and began his life in business. He started his own commercial real estate business, The Staubach Company, with Robert Holloway Jr in the late ’70s.
Brady is making a fortune from his FOX contract (Image: Getty)
However, he bought out Holloway in 1982 and The Staubach Company went on to work with major businesses like AT&T, McDonald’s, K-Mart Corporation and the Hospital Corporation of America. He also has ownership stakes in 27 different apartment complexes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and became the joint owner of a NASCAR team, as per .
The 82-year-old served as his company’s chairman and CEO until announcing he would be stepping down in June 2007. A year later, he inflated his bank balance to an eye-watering amount selling his beloved company for $613 million (£493m), giving him the bulk of his fortune.
Brady, meanwhile, carved out his own American dream. He played in a record 10 Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning seven – the most of any player in NFL history – while his Tampa Bay contract was worth a minimum of £40m ($50m) over two years.
Staubach, seen here with Ronald Reagan, became a household name during his career (Image: Getty)
However, his big pay day came in March 2022 when he a 10-year deal worth a whopping £302m ($375m) to join FOX, where he offers commentary and punditry on NFL games.
He also has a minority stake in the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, NFL side Las Vegas Raiders and League One high-flyers Birminham City. While Staubach comfortably leads the way on the all time for NFL players, Brady is currently tied behind the Cowboys icon with ex-Minnesota Vikings star Frank Tarkenton.
Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is up next with a £201m ($250m) fortune, alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Green Bay Packers legend Aaron Rodgers then comes in behind those with a £161m ($200m) net worth.