Evander Holyfield Net Worth

Evander Holyfield, a retired American professional boxer, has a net worth of $1 million. Known for his prowess in the Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, and Light-Heavyweight divisions, Holyfield secured his legacy with a Bronze medal at the 1984 Olympic Games and by becoming the Undisputed Champion in both the Heavyweight and Cruiserweight divisions. Despite earning an estimated $230 million during his career, Holyfield has faced significant financial difficulties.

Evander Holyfield Net Worth	$1 Million
Date of Birth	October 19, 1962
Place of Birth	Atmore, Alabama
Nationality	American
Profession	Professional Boxer, Actor

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Financial Struggles

Like several prominent athletes, Holyfield’s substantial earnings dwindled due to various financial missteps. At his career peak, his net worth exceeded $100 million. However, by 2008, financial troubles led to the foreclosure of his 109-room Atlanta mansion, which cost over $1 million annually to maintain. The mansion, spanning 54,000 square feet on 234 acres, sold at a public auction for $7.5 million, while Holyfield owed more than twice that amount on the mortgage. Rick Ross later purchased the property for $5.4 million in 2014.

Holyfield’s financial woes included child support disputes and tax debts. In mid-2012, the Georgia Department of Human Services claimed he owed $372,097.40 in child support to his daughter, Emani. Other debts included $6,000 in unpaid child support for his son and a $550,000 debt to a landscaping service. By January 2013, Holyfield also owed several hundred thousand dollars in back taxes to the IRS.

To settle various debts, many of Holyfield’s prized possessions, such as his Olympic bronze medal, fight gloves, championship rings, belts, and match robes, were sold at auction.

Early Life

Evander Holyfield was born on October 19, 1962, in Atmore, Alabama, and was the youngest of nine children. His family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he grew up in the crime-ridden Bowen Homes Housing Projects. Holyfield started boxing at age seven and won the Boys Club Boxing Tournament. He began to make a name for himself in the ring, competing in the Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, and Light-Heavyweight divisions. At age 13, he qualified for his first junior Olympics, and by 15, he had become the Southeastern Regional Champion. He won a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games and qualified for the Olympics.

Professional Career

Holyfield’s professional debut came at age 21 after winning a bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Nicknamed “The Real Deal,” Holyfield moved up to the cruiserweight division in 1985 and won his first title the following year against Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the WBA Cruiserweight belt. He later secured the Lineal, IBF, and WBC titles, becoming the Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion. In 1988, he transitioned to heavyweight, defeating Buster Douglas in 1990 for The Ring, Lineal, WBC, WBA, and IBF titles.

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Holyfield’s career includes victories over notable fighters like George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Mike Tyson (twice), Michael Moorer, John Ruiz, Michael Dokes, and Hasim Rahman. He is the only four-time World Heavyweight Champion, winning titles in 1990, 1993, 1996, and 2000. Despite a brief retirement in 1994 due to medical advice, he returned triumphantly in 1995. His infamous 1997 match against Mike Tyson, where Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear, remains one of the most notorious events in boxing history.

Holyfield retired in 2014 with a career record of 44 wins (29 knockouts), 10 losses, and two draws. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017 and ranks #9 in BoxRec’s greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time. Post-retirement, he served as a boxing advisor and mentor to heavyweight hopeful Zhang Zhilei.

Other Ventures

Holyfield founded Real Deal Records, signing groups such as Exhale. He endorsed numerous products, including Coca-Cola and Diet Coke, and featured in the Sega Genesis video game “Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal Boxing.” Holyfield has made various television and film appearances, including “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Summer of Sam,” “Necessary Roughness,” and “Blood Salvage.” In 2005, he participated in “Dancing with the Stars,” and in 2014, he appeared on “Celebrity Big Brother” in the UK.

In 1996, Holyfield carried the Olympic torch in Atlanta, and in 2007, he released a line of cooking products called Real Deal Grill.

Personal Life

Holyfield has been married three times: to Paulette Brown (1985-1991), Dr. Janice Itson (1996-2000), and Candi Calvana Smith (2003-2012). He has 11 children. Despite facing numerous financial and personal challenges, Holyfield has remained a prominent figure in the boxing world and continues to be active in various charitable endeavors, including autism awareness and Artists Against Racism.