Pop quiz: Who is the richest athlete in the world? Is it Magic Johnson? David Beckham? Lionel Messi? Cristiano Ronaldo? Honestly, you probably thought of Michael Jordan without missing a beat. If you did, you’re right! Michael Jordan tops the list with a net worth of $3.6 billion, making him the richest athlete alive.
But here’s a twist: I bet 99% of our readers have never heard of the second richest athlete in the world. You might even sit next to him on a bus (though I’m not sure why he’d ride a bus), and wouldn’t recognize him at all.
I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. With a net worth of $2.4 billion, the second-richest athlete is Ion Țiriac. Ever heard of him? Most Americans probably haven’t, but if you followed professional tennis in the 1970s and 1980s or hold a debit card from some Eastern European banks, his name might ring a bell.
Ion Tiriac (left) and Ilie Nastase (right) in Monte Carlo in 1971 (Photo by Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Count Dracula
Ion Țiriac was born on May 9, 1939, in Transylvania, Romania. So, for better or worse, when he started dominating on the tennis court, he earned the nickname “Count Dracula.”
Before tennis, Ion was a star player on Romania’s national ice hockey team, even representing Romania at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Austria.
Shortly after returning from Austria, Ion switched to professional tennis. Around the same time, fellow Romanian and future tennis Hall of Famer Ilie Năstase was rising to stardom. Together, the Romanian pair became one of tennis’s most feared doubles teams. Ilie Nastase’s nickname was “Nasty,” so it was literally Nasty and Count Dracula vs. the world. They finished second at their first major tournament, the 1966 French Open, and won the doubles title in 1970.
Ion won 294 doubles matches with 22 titles and 167 singles matches, including regional championships but no major titles. He played in two Davis Cup finals and won gold medals in singles and doubles at the 1965 World Summer Games in Budapest.
It was a respectable career. When Ion retired in 1980, he quickly became a sought-after coach and manager. He coached Ilie Năstase full-time and later worked with stars like Mary Joe Fernández, Guillermo Vilas, Marat Safin, Steffi Graf, and Goran Ivanišević. Between 1984 and 1993, Ion helped Boris Becker become the world #1 in 1991.
Business Career After Tennis
Coaching Boris Becker meant Ion spent most of his time in Germany during the late 80s and early 90s—a fascinating period for a Romanian in Berlin. Remember, Romania was still under communist rule in the 80s, called the Socialist Republic of Romania, until the Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989.
Living in Berlin during these historic changes, Ion had the perfect chance to seize new business opportunities. He had money, fame, experience, and connections, and was ready to dive into capitalism in former communist countries like Romania.
And what’s more capitalist than starting a bank?
Business Empire
In 1991, Ion founded Banca Țiriac, Romania’s first privately owned bank after communism. Over the next decade, the bank steadily grew. In 2005, it merged with HVB Bank Romania to create HVB Țiriac Bank, boosting its market presence.
In 2008, UniCredit Group acquired Capitalia, which included Banca di Roma and its Romanian operations. The local branches merged into UniCredit Țiriac Bank, becoming one of Romania’s top five banks, known for real estate financing, cross-border services, and digital banking.
In 2015, Țiriac Holdings sold its 45% stake to UniCredit Bank Austria AG, and the bank was renamed UniCredit Bank, now part of a European group with over 8,500 branches in 17 countries. Today, the Romanian operation employs around 3,000 people with 208 branches serving hundreds of thousands of customers.
But banking was just the start of Ion’s empire.
- ȚiriacAuto: A leading luxury car dealer representing brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, and Land Rover
- Țiriac Leasing: A car leasing company for both businesses and individuals
- ȚiriacAIR: A private jet company for executive travel
- Tir Travel: Custom travel and logistics services
- Allianz-Țiriac Asigurări: One of Romania’s biggest insurance companies, where Ion held a major stake
- Țiriac Holdings: The parent company managing all his major ventures
Stejarii Country Club
Ion invested heavily in real estate. One of his biggest projects is the Stejarii Country Club, an ultra-luxury community on the edge of Bucharest. It’s more than a country club—it offers luxury apartments and top-notch sports facilities.
He also houses his incredible car collection here—over 400 rare and exotic cars. Car lovers must check out this video tour of the “Țiriac Collection.”
Madrid Open
In 2002, Ion launched the Madrid Open, which he owns outright. It started as a mid-level ATP event but grew into one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments worldwide. Ion personally funds the event and pushes for it to become a Grand Slam, making it unique as the only major tennis tournament owned by a former player.
Legacy
Ion remains deeply connected to sports and culture in Romania. He’s a licensed pilot and a dedicated patron of athletics and the arts. Despite his vast wealth, he keeps a low profile outside Europe, which is why many don’t realize how rich he truly is.
He never earned more than a few million as an athlete, but just two years after the Berlin Wall fell, Ion’s net worth passed $100 million. By 2000, he was worth $500 million, $900 million in 2005, and surpassed $1 billion in 2007.
In 2013, Ion was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Today, Ion Țiriac’s net worth is estimated at $2.4 billion. He was Romania’s first billionaire, the richest person in Romania, and the world’s second richest athlete after Michael Jordan.
So next time someone asks you to name the second richest athlete in the world, you’ll know exactly who it is!
