Serena Williams is the GOAT.
It’s not just about how she plays tennis (although, certainly, that doesn’t hurt).
Rather, it’s about the impact she’s made on the sport, as a whole.
No less of an authority than the Los Angeles Times proclaimed that Serena Williams has made a lasting impact on both female athletes as a whole, and on Black athletes in particular.
“She has long been a role model for women of color such as Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, and phenom Coco Gauff, but Williams takes no credit for inspiring them,” they write. “Williams’ legacy as a cultural icon and the greatest female player tennis has ever known is secure even if she doesn’t capture that record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. But don’t underestimate the fire that still drives her and fuels her confidence about winning another Slam singles title.”
That “fire” that drives her has certainly paid off. According to Forbes, she has a net worth of $240 million, and consistently makes the outlet’s various lists of the richest celebrities in the world. More than just being rich — or even wealthy — however, is the fact that Serena Williams is unfailingly self-made. She first made the Forbes list of richest self-made celebrities in 2019 and has made it consistently ever since. Williams is on the list after securing multiple partnerships, investing in tech companies, starting her own venture capital firm, and joining the board of some growing startup companies.
And at the end of the day, she’s just getting started.
Let’s take a look at the myriad of ways that Serena Williams built her impressive net worth. You’d be amazed how much the tennis great has expanded her empire into everything from fashion to activism, to an impressive number of endorsements and investments in some of the biggest companies in the world. We stan this queen, now and forever!
Endorsements
Serena Williams has received endorsements from a wide variety of companies. Gatorade, Delta Air Lines, Audemars Piguet, Aston Martin, Pepsi, Beats by Dre headphones, Mission Athletecare, Berlei bras, OPI Products, OnePiece, IBM, Mini, Intel, Tempur and Chase Bank are the short list of companies that have endorsed the tennis great.
Salary
As AfroTech previously reported, Serena Williams is one of the richest self-made Black women in the world.
“She has consistently been named as one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes by Forbes, and her partnerships and endorsements continue to earn her money above and beyond her sports career,” we wrote.
Fashion
At the beginning of her career, Serena Williams had a deal with Puma sneakers. In 2004, she signed a deal with Nike.
She also has a nail line with HairTech, a clothing line called Serena, is part of the Poshmark board of directors, and has her own sustainable line called S by Serena.
Entertainment
In 2021, Serena Williams scored a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. According to SeekingAlpha, while the financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, Williams’s deal “includes scripted and unscripted projects that will debut on Amazon Prime Video.” The first thing they’re working on, as part of this deal, is a documentary revolving around Serena Williams’ personal life.
Activism and Charity Work
In addition to her support of such charities as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Hearts of Gold, the Common Ground Foundation, the Small Steps Project, the HollyRod Foundation, Beyond the Boroughs National Scholarship Fund, World Education, the Eva Longoria Foundation, the Caliber Foundation and the Cure for MND Foundation, Serena Williams is heavily involved in activism, as well. She has won several awards — including the NAACP President’s Award — for outstanding achievements in activist causes.
Other Investments and Ventures
In recent years, Serena Williams has made a number of investments through her VC firm, Serena Ventures, which is committed to funding women and Black-owned businesses. She has an app called Esusu, which helps with back-rent reporting. She’s also invested in Lolli, in an Indonesian coffee company, and in the Bumble Fund. She’s also a strategic adviser to The Mom Project, and has invested in a soccer team (along with her daughter, who is now the youngest owner of a soccer team) that will be unveiled in 2022. Finally, she and her sister Venus Williams also have a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins — making them the first Black women to ever have an ownership stake in an NFL team.
