You probably know Tony Hawk as the most famous professional skateboarder, but did you know he’s one of the richest athletes in the world? That’s right, Hawk’s career earnings combined with his entrepreneurial success in retirement has built his net worth to be higher than Larry Bird and Charles Barkley‘s combined.

Tony Hawk is the highest-earning pro skateboarder of all time

Hawk was a skateboarding prodigy as a child. He signed his first sponsorship deal when he was just 12 years old, and he turned pro when he was 14.

Hawk quickly became the best and most famous skater in the world before he even turned 20. He went on to become the National Skateboard Association world champion 12 years in a row. Throughout his career, Hawk won more than 70 events, making him the most decorated athlete in the history of the sport.

During the 1999 X-Games, Hawk landed the first-ever 900 in competition. It’s still the most memorable feat in professional skating today. Hawk won two X-Games gold medals in his 17-year pro career.

As a teenager, Hawk made over $100,00 a year from skating. He made so much money in high school that he bought his family a house when he was a senior. Throughout his career, Hawk earned tens of millions of dollars in prize money and sponsorships, but that wasn’t even the most prolific source of income for the skating icon.

Hawk earned most of his wealth after skating

As successful as Hawk was in professional skating, he made even more money as an entrepreneur in retirement.

In 1992, he started his own skateboard company called Birdhouse. It’s still one of the most popular skateboard suppliers in the world today. He also founded the clothing company Hawk Clothing, which produces skating clothes for children.

In 1998, Hawk teamed up with Activision, a video game company, to produce his own skateboarding game. Tony Hawk Pro Skater became an instant hit, and the series has made over $1.4 billion since it was released.

Since his retirement, Hawk has tried his hand at an acting career. He’s appeared on hit shows and movies such as The Simpsons, Jackass, and The Masked Singer. He even worked on the movie XXX as a stunt double.

Hawk used his massive career earnings to invest in multiple business ventures including a production company, a coffee producer, and his own skating companies. His career earnings combined with his business savvy in retirement have given Hawk a massive net worth.

Hawk has a higher net worth than NBA legends Larry Bird and Charles Barkley combined

As of May 2020, Tony Hawk’s net worth stands at a whopping $140 million. That’s by far the highest in the realm of skateboarding, but it’s also larger than many legends across all major sports.

In fact, Hawk’s net worth is higher than Larry Bird and Charles Barkley’s combined. Bird’s net worth currently stands at $55 million, while Barkley’s sits at $50 million. Added together, Bird and Barkley have a combined $105 million net worth, which is still $35 million short of Hawk.

You wouldn’t think a skateboarder would even come close to two of the NBA’s all-time greats in terms of wealth, but that just proves how transcendent Hawk was. He made skating cool, and he grew the sport more than anyone ever could. So much, in fact, that it made him one of the richest athletes in the world.

All net worth stats courtesy of Celebrity Net Worth