How Roger Federer Became A Billionaire (with the man who made it happen)

Roger Federer’s net worth officially crossed $1 billion earlier this year, according to Forbes. That makes the 20-time Grand Slam winner one of just seven athletes to have reached the three-comma club, joining Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Junior Bridgeman, Tiger Woods, and Romanian tennis player Ion Tiriac.

Most of Federer’s net worth was generated through sponsorship deals with companies like Nike, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, and Uniqlo, as well as a minority stake in the publicly traded Swiss shoe and apparel brand On, which is valued at $375 million.

But every sports fan knows this information. What you may not know is that Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, is the one who made it happen. After becoming Federer’s agent 20 years ago, Godsick negotiated deals collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In fact, Godsick was the one who helped architect Federer’s departure from Nike, landing deals with Uniqlo and On that are now valued at more than $1 billion.

While attending the Laver Cup in San Francisco this past weekend, I had the opportunity to interview Godsick. We talk about his journey with Federer, the real story behind why Nike decided to move on from the tennis legend, and the growth of the Laver Cup — a Ryder Cup-style tournament co-founded by Federer and Godsick.

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