David Beckham is a British soccer player and one of the world’s wealthiest athletes, with a net worth of $175 million. Beckham made his professional soccer debut at the age of 17 and played for Manchester United for nine seasons, during which the squad won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League once. In 2003, Beckham was traded to the Spanish club Madrid Real, and in 2007, he signed a five-year, $6.5-million-per-season contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, making him the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer. Shortly afterwards, Beckham returned to Europe, playing on loan from the Galaxy for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Aside from his league career, Beckham was named captain of the England national football team in 2000, a title he retained until 2006; he returned to the squad—though not as captain—in 2008, and continues to represent England in qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup. In 1999, Beckham married British singer and former Spice Girl Victoria Adams. Off the pitch, he is a sought-after model and spokesperson, having represented Pepsi, Calvin Klein, Adidas, Vodafone, Gillette, and others. He was also Google’s most-searched sports-related search term in 2003 and 2004.