Richard Schaefer Net Worth

What Is Richard Schaefer's Net Worth?

Richard Schaefer is a Swiss-American sports executive who has a net worth of $50 million.

Richard Schaefer is best known for bringing institutional-level financial discipline to professional boxing, transforming it from a fragmented promoter-driven business into a television, sponsorship, and pay-per-view powerhouse. After building a high-level career in Swiss banking and private wealth management, Schaefer made an unlikely transition into boxing promotion, where he became one of the most influential executives in the sport's modern history.

Schaefer co-founded Golden Boy Promotions with Oscar De La Hoya in 2002 and served as its chief executive until 2014. During that period, Golden Boy promoted some of the highest-grossing fights ever staged, including multiple record-breaking events headlined by Floyd Mayweather. After leaving Golden Boy, Schaefer launched and advised several boxing and combat sports ventures, including Ringstar Sports and Probellum, while also expanding into large-scale real estate development.

In more recent years, Schaefer has served as president of Anthem Sports Group and as a key financial advisor to elite fighters, including Canelo Alvarez. His career is defined by an unusual combination of European banking pedigree and American sports promotion, making him one of the most financially sophisticated executives the boxing industry has ever produced.

Early Life and Banking Career

Richard Schaefer was born in Bern, Switzerland, in 1961 into a family deeply rooted in the Swiss banking system. His father was a senior executive at Swiss Bank Corporation before founding his own private bank, and Schaefer was effectively groomed from an early age for a career in finance. He earned a federal diploma in business administration from the Zurich Business School, a credential that placed him squarely on the traditional Swiss banking track.

After completing his education, Schaefer moved to the United States as part of an executive training program and remained there permanently. He joined Swiss Bank Corporation, which later became UBS following a merger, and steadily rose through the ranks. By the late 1990s, Schaefer had become Deputy Chief of Private Banking for the western United States at UBS.

At the height of his banking career, Schaefer managed the wealth of roughly half of the 30 richest individuals in the western U.S., including casino and real estate magnate Kirk Kerkorian. That experience gave him deep exposure to complex deal structures, risk management, and high-net-worth relationship building, skills that would later prove invaluable in boxing.

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Entering Boxing and Founding Golden Boy Promotions

Schaefer's entry into boxing came through a chance meeting with Oscar De La Hoya on a golf course in Palm Springs around 2000. Recognizing De La Hoya's commercial potential beyond the ring, Schaefer made the surprising decision to leave the security of Swiss banking to help build a sports business empire around the fighter.

Initially, Schaefer worked on management and financial strategy, but he quickly identified promotion as the true profit engine of boxing. In 2002, he and De La Hoya co-founded Golden Boy Promotions, with Schaefer handling the business and financial operations while De La Hoya served as the public face of the company.

Golden Boy Promotions and Record-Breaking Fights

As CEO of Golden Boy Promotions from 2002 to 2014, Schaefer became the company's operational and financial architect. He focused on securing massive television contracts, expanding pay-per-view revenue, and targeting underserved audiences, particularly the U.S. Hispanic market.

Under his leadership, Golden Boy promoted some of the most lucrative boxing events in history. The 2007 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya became the highest-grossing pay-per-view event ever at the time, generating more than 2.4 million buys. In 2013, Schaefer helped orchestrate Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez, which set new records for live gate revenue and pay-per-view earnings, surpassing all previous boxing events.

Schaefer also pioneered long-term media strategies, including a monthly boxing series on HBO Latino, and reinvested profits into real estate and community-focused projects tied to Hispanic markets. By the early 2010s, Golden Boy had become the dominant promotional force in boxing.

(Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)

Departure From Golden Boy and Legal Dispute

Schaefer's tenure at Golden Boy ended abruptly in 2014 following a high-profile legal dispute with De La Hoya over the company's strategic direction and its relationship with advisor Al Haymon. The dispute resulted in a confidential settlement in which Schaefer relinquished his ownership stake and agreed to a one-year non-compete clause.

Though the split marked the end of one of boxing's most successful executive partnerships, it did little to diminish Schaefer's standing in the industry.

Post-Golden Boy Ventures and Real Estate

Following his departure from Golden Boy, Schaefer diversified his business interests. He launched a residential and commercial real estate operation in Los Angeles, including participation in a $70 million redevelopment of a former Sears site in Boyle Heights.

In 2016, he returned to boxing promotion by founding Ringstar Sports, quickly securing licenses in major boxing states such as New York, Nevada, and Texas. He later merged Ringstar with David Haye's promotional outfit to form Hayemaker Ringstar, expanding his reach into international markets.

Probellum and Global Boxing Strategy

In 2021, Schaefer co-founded Probellum, a global boxing promotion and media company designed to unify the sport's fragmented international landscape. The venture sought to centralize talent, television rights, and event promotion across multiple countries, reflecting Schaefer's long-standing belief that boxing required corporate-scale organization to maximize value.

Anthem Sports Group and Executive Leadership

In 2023, Schaefer was named president of Anthem Sports Group, overseeing properties including TNA Wrestling and Invicta FC. The role positioned him at the intersection of combat sports, media rights, and global distribution.

In June 2024, Floyd Mayweather announced that Schaefer had been hired as CEO of Mayweather Promotions, further reinforcing his reputation as a trusted financial strategist within elite boxing circles.

Canelo Alvarez and High-Stakes Advisory Work

One of Schaefer's most consequential recent roles has been serving as a business manager and advisor to Canelo Alvarez. In 2024 and 2025, Schaefer was credited with restructuring Alvarez's promotional and international business relationships, including high-value partnerships tied to Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.

Those negotiations reportedly resulted in purses exceeding $120 million per event, underscoring Schaefer's ability to apply private-banking discipline to modern boxing economics.

Personal Life

Richard Schaefer is married to his wife, Lilia, who is originally from Mexico. The couple has three sons. Although his career has taken him from Swiss banking halls to boxing's biggest arenas, Schaefer has remained closely connected to his family throughout his professional transitions.

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