Tiger Woods — The Billion-Dollar Golfer

Before Tiger Woods, the total PGA Tour purse was $60 million; by 2024, it hit $450 million—a 650% increase driven by his gallery effect. TV ratings tripled in his presence, and tournament sponsors paid premiums for 'Tiger Sundays.' His 1996 Nike deal, worth $40 million over 5 years, was the richest athlete endorsement at the time, and career endorsements exceed $1.7 billion. He's the first active athlete to earn $1 billion. Tiger outperforms #3's economic impact by creating a league-wide financial multiplier that persists two decades after his peak, proving he was golf's entire economy.