It's a stressful life but one that comes with its (many) rewards; away from their respective sports, top tier athletes enjoy some of the finer things that life has to offer such as fancy restaurants, 5-star trips and mammoth mansions (that they get to call home). In some cases these estates are so darn big that you might mistake them for a resort or a golf course.
In this article we feature the top athletes from around the world with the most stunning homes (both currently and previously owned). We'll include retired legends from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. We'll also take a look at the current crop of wealthy athletes such as LeBron James, Steph Curry and Lewis Hamilton, to name a few. These current stars live the life of luxury in absolutely marvelous homes. As if LeBron's over-$20-million Los Angeles home wasn't enough, he also decided to take an envy-worthy trip to Positano, Italy following his signing with the Lakers (he also rode on a yacht while eating endless amounts of cheese). Oh, that lavish life!
Enjoy the article folks and like always be sure to share it with a friend. Without further ado here are 20 athletes who have estates so big they could rival a golf course.
20 Serena Williams – Palm Beach, Florida
Taking an aerial view of her stunning estate, you can easily fit a golf course on the property. According to Architectural Digest the home is worth almost $3 million. Among the top features is a pool and an outdoor spa. That along with 1.25 acres of space, of course!
Despite having such a beautiful home Serena explained to Vogue that she might be moving from the massive estate in the future;
“To be honest, there’s something really attractive about the idea of moving to San Francisco and just being a mom,” she told the magazine. “But not yet. Maybe this goes without saying, but it needs to be said in a powerful way: I absolutely want more Grand Slams.”
Hey, maybe they'll tear it down once she sells and create a golf course.
19 Tiger Woods – Jupiter, Florida
Ironically one of the biggest pieces of land on the entire list goes to the guy that's an actual golfer. Take a look at Tiger's home from the photo above and you'll be quite baffled by the amount of land the popular golfer owns. His house is 9,000 square feet but what's even more impressive is the 12-acre ground. He literally has a golf course along with a stunning body of water attached to his estate.
Tiger owns several other properties, however none compare to his insane Jupiter, Florida home. Nearing a billion dollar net worth, Tiger can definitely afford the residence.
18 Stone Cold Steve Austin – Tilden, Texas
One of the most popular wrestlers from the 90s, Austin made a couple of bucks during the golden era of pro wrestling. These days he's spending most of his time on a stunning ranch located in Tilden, Texas. Obviously this cost the WWE star a fortune but he's been passionate about the farming way of life. Heck, he even films a reality show at the location, The Broken Skull Ranch.
He uses several vehicles to go off-roading with while at the ranch location. That just goes to show how big it is. He doesn't need to step foot back in the ring, as he's doing just fine on his massive ranch.
17 Michael Phelps - Paradise Valley, Arizona
One of the greatest US Olympians of all-time, Michael Phelps has collected a massive fortune throughout the years, winning various gold medal victories along with numerous endorsement deals. With all that money he was able to buy a stunning residence in the quiet location of Paradise Valley, Arizona. However, as of most recently the home is now up for sale. It appears as though Phelps is looking to make a profit buying the stunning estate for $2.5 million in 2015, and now putting it up for sale at just over $4 million.
As Phelps told Associated Press, the family has no shortage of space in the backyard;
"Our backyard looks right at Camelback Mountain. You go outside in our backyard, and we have orange and tangerine and lemon and lime and peach and apple — all these different fruit trees growing in our backyard."
16 Michael Jordan – Chicago, Illinois
It only makes sense that the wealthiest man on the list has the most astonishing home. Ironically Jordan made under $100 million throughout his legendary NBA run. It’s with the Jordan brand that the basketball icon became filthy rich. Thanks to his clothing empire, Jordan has a current worth of over $1.6 billion.
Perhaps the 56,000 square-foot home and the 7-acres of land might be a little too much for Jordan these days. According to Business Insider the home remains up for sale after six years! The $15 million price tag, along with the insane yearly tax fees, might be scaring buyers away. But hey, at least whoever buys the home can take full use of the massive putting green in the backyard!
15 LeBron James – Brentwood, California
Similar to Tiger, LeBron James owns several homes. Before making the move to the Lakers James was the proud owner of this insane Los Angeles home worth a whopping $23 million!
The home is insanely spacious on the inside (nearly 16,000 square feet). The home includes a home theater, rooftop terrace and an elevator. And oh, it also contains 11 bathrooms and eight bedrooms. The backyard also contains lots of room with a beautiful lounge area, pool and lots of green, enough to sink a couple of distance puts. He'll enjoy the home heading into to next season, as he's now a member of the storied LA Lakers franchise.
14 Phil Mickelson – Rancho Santa Fe
You know it’s a big home when the LA Times refers to it as a compound. However the legendary golfer recently sold the place for nearly $6 million. The LA Times discusses the luxury of this home;
"Built in 2001, the home features a main residence of about 9,200 square feet, two guesthouses, a pool, a horseshoe pit and a three-hole putting green on five acres inside the Covenant."
The sad reality here is that with a net worth of nearly $400 million the golfer can afford an even bigger home. Maybe he should buy one with a golf course as the backyard!
13 Derek Jeter – Tampa, Florida
Jeter's stunning residence covers over 30,000 square feet! Taking a look at the home by the water anyone can easily mistake it for being a resort. The estate is among the most impressive, worth nearly $8 million. That seems like a bargain however given the crazy taxes he must pay per year (nearly $250,000), it does make sense.
According to Tampabay.com Jeter was a little infuriated years back with the lack of privacy. He discussed having to deal with constant onlookers trying to snap a photo;
"They're looking for snapshots. They come at all times of the day and night. … The neighbors themselves have become the enforcers here, and frankly, they're getting a little tired of it."
In order to fix this problem Jeter got the okay to install a massive gate at the front of the residence.
12 Barry Bonds – Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Speaking of wealthy retired baseball players, we now turn our attention to the controversial Barry Bonds. Despite such a polarizing career featuring numerous scandals, Bonds still managed to make a fortune. His current net worth sits at $80 million.
This mammoth estate is what Bonds used to call home. However according to the LA Times he sold the residence for a whopping $26.5 million. According to the LA Times not only was the home massive but it also featured things we can only dream of;
"Reached by a tree-lined drive that ends at a large motor court, the Italian-inspired estate includes a villa-style main house of 17,100 square feet, a two-story guesthouse and a sports court. A swimming pool and an olive grove are also on the 1.85 acres of grounds."
11 Floyd Mayweather – Beverly Hills, California
Speaking of athletes that love to collect cars, we now turn our attention to Floyd Mayweather. Heck, his Vegas garage is worth more than our homes alone. It features various Rolls Royce models, Ferraris and Bugattis.
With a net worth of nearly $1 billion, Floyd didn't cheap out with his mansion choice either. Mayweather purchased a $26 million home in Beverly Hills. According to Mansion Global the house contains luxury on both the inside and the outside;
"The six-bedroom, 10-bathroom house has an open floor plan with large entertaining spaces, a paneled library, a wine cellar and a formal dining room, according to the listing. A guesthouse on the property has a cinema for up to 20 guests. On the grounds, there is a motor court and a pool."
10 Jordan Spieth – Dallas, Texas
Yes, Tiger isn't the only golfer with land the size of a darn golf course. Spieth is another wealthy golfer. The real kicker is his current age of 25. A lot of his wealth has to do with signing a lucrative deal with Under Armour. The company inked the golf star to a major 10-year deal back in 2015.
Shortly after signing the deal Spieth moved into a mansion worth over $7 million according to Business Insider. The ridiculous home features 16,655 square feet along with a separate guest house. The view of his backyard can drop anyone’s jaw.
9 Wayne Gretzky – Thousand Oaks, California
"Set in the guard-gated Sherwood Country Club community, the Richard Landry-designed home is fronted by a gated entry and a circular driveway. A remodel has brought a renewed elegance to the 12,000-square-foot floor plan, which opens to a grand foyer with a sweeping staircase."
As the LA Times explains the home doesn't fall short in terms of luxury and space. Canadians tend to be simple people and for that reason, Wayne decided to repurchase the home years later after he sold it. Taking a view from above Wayne can easily create a mini golf course if he wanted to. Heck, he's already got his own tennis court available!
8 John Cena – Road Land O Lakes, Florida
At the moment there isn't a more popular WWE star than John Cena. He was deeply missed this year at the ESPY Awards with Danica Patrick tanking in his place. Here's to the ESPY Awards bringing Cena back next year!
Along with the WWE Cena continues to grow his fortune with various acting gigs. Away from the ring and spotlight Cena's living more than comfortably in his Road Land O Lakes residence. His pool looks like one you’d find at a 5-star resort. Heck his garage is bigger than most of our homes alone! Cena's also a big time car collector, owning more than 20 rides these days (both of the old and new variety).
7 Alex Rodriguez – Coral Gables, Florida
Another player with a polarizing legacy, that didn't stop A-Rod from drowning in wealth. He's got an outrageous net worth of $300 million, not to mention he's dating the desirable J-Lo. The guy isn't doing too shabby these days.
For those that love modern type of decor, A-Rod's house is definitely something you might dream of at night. Architectural Digest took a tour of the home and let's just say it doesn't fall short of anyone's expectations. Rodriguez is now planning on opening a new gym nearby his Coral Gables residence. We assume a membership won't come cheap, though.
6 Steph Curry – Alamo California
For one too many years, Curry's contract was an absolute steal as he transitioned into one of the NBA's best. With the contract expiration looming it was expected that Curry would become the league's wealthiest player. That's exactly what happened as he became the first NBA star to earn over $200 million. He signed to stay with Golden State for another five seasons. Winning another championship last year, he did not disappoint once again.
Off the court he lives in a beautiful Alamo, California home. It’s a massive house and one he enjoys with his wife and children. He's also no stranger to family trips taking the crew to Hawaii and Saint-Tropez in recent years.
5 Peyton Manning – Cherry Hills Village, Denver
As one might expect, it pays well to be one of the best QBs of your generation. However somehow, Manning’s stunning home might exceed expectations due to the mammoth land size. Almost 17,000 square feet, the home features seven bedrooms and 10 (yes, 10) bathrooms. That’s more bathrooms than a darn golf course! The house has a value of $5 million which might be lower than a lot of us might have anticipated.
A now retired athlete, Manning has a tremendous net worth of $200 million these days making double that amount throughout his NFL career.
4 Tom Brady – Brookline, Massachusetts
We can’t discuss Manning without making mention of Tom Brady. The New England QB is another player with an oversized home that can easily be mistaken for a resort. With more than 14,000 square feet at his disposal, you can easily build a golfing green on the property.
The true hero of this home might be the overly spacious backyard. Heck, Tom can throw a Hail Mary if he wants to. He can also call up some of his golf buddies and literally create a mini course as well. He definitely has the land to do so. However we’re not sure if Gisele would approve!
3 Lewis Hamilton – London, England
Still only 33 years old, the F1 driver has a remarkable net worth of over $250 million. Not only does he make a $50 million base off of his F1 duties, but he also flips cars on the regular. Hamilton loves to invest his money on old school vintage rides along with some of the top tier sports cars. He's known to later auction them off once they've increased in value.
With all that coin, it's only normal that he lives in a stunning home worth 18 million Euros. According to The Sun Hamilton purchased this stunning London home as a summer house. The backyard has a beautiful view and a stunning garden. Maybe he can put a nice putting green instead!
2 Cristiano Ronaldo – Turin, Italy
A house so expensive that U2 turned it down while on tour! According to Express, U2 refused to stay in the home due to the insane rental fees. The asking price (a decade ago) was 280,000 Euros for six nights! Now that's a little too drastic.
Signing a four-year deal with a yearly salary of $30 million, Ronaldo can certainly afford the mansion located in east Turin. His stunning new home features thousands of square meters of land along with an indoor pool, tennis court and eight bedrooms. His home in Madrid wasn't too shabby either, however in terms of size and land this one's a lot bigger.
1 Lionel Messi – Barcelona, Spain
Just like we can't discuss Manning without Brady, well we can't feature Ronaldo without mentioning Lionel Messi. For those familiar with the game of football, it should not come as a surprise that Messi also lives in a mammoth mansion. What's truly unbelievable is not only is the estate huge, but planes aren't even allowed to fly over his home!
Yes, according to The Sun Messi lives just 10 km away from the airport. Pilots are none too pleased having to detour his home on the regular. This has prohibited various airlines from expanding. According to The Sun this doesn't take place anywhere else in the world!