Sir David Beckham nets £38.5m after World Cup ad deals
His stake in DRJB Holdings has entitled him to almost half of its £85.5m in dividend payments.
Sir David Beckham has received a £38.5m payout from his sports, fashion, and media business after the 2026 Men's Football World Cup helped drive record profits.
The former England star's DRJB Holdings, which includes the Beckham brand, posted an almost £50m profit in 2025, up 46% from a year earlier. Sales increased from £72.2m to £84m.
That growth was fuelled by a series of advertising partnerships signed ahead of the tournament, including with Bank of America, McDonald's, Verizon, and PepsiCo Lay's.
Sir David, Britain's first billionaire sportsman, was widely featured in adverts during the summer's World Cup.
In the US, fans could hardly watch a match without seeing Beckham in adverts for Stella Artois, Home Depot and Lay's crisps - known as Walkers in the UK.
Sir David also introduced menswear collections for Hugo Boss last year, along with a pair of Adidas Predator football boots and an eyewear line with Italian glasses maker Safilo.
Revenue at DRJB, in which Beckham owns almost half, was also lifted by growth in Beckham's health supplements business.
DRJB paid shareholders £38.9m, followed by a special £46.6m payment after the financial year ended.
Sir David's share of those dividends would have been about £38.5m, based on his ownership stake.
The rest of DRJB is owned by New York-based Authentic Brands Group, which also owns Reebok and the rights to other celebrity brands such as comedian and actor Kevin Hart.
Authentic's entertainment chief executive Corey Salter said the results showed Sir David's name is "one of the most powerful global brands in sport, lifestyle, entertainment and much more".
"It's been an outstanding year, from new partnerships to important philanthropic campaigns and overall brand growth," he said.
Sir David previously faced criticism for aligning himself with a country where same-sex relationships are illegal when he served as an ambassador for the 2022 Men's Football World Cup in Qatar.
"It was an important competition and one I was proud to be part of," he said at the time, adding that he had engaged with the LGBTQ community during the tournament.