Michelle Wie, also known as Michelle Wie West, is an American professional golfer with an estimated net worth of $20 million. Known for her impressive achievements on the golf course, Wie became the youngest player to qualify for the USGA amateur championship at just 10 years old. Throughout her career, she has broken multiple records and made a name for herself as a trailblazer in the sport, both in the LPGA and on the global stage.
Michelle Wie Net Worth | $20 Million |
Date of Birth | October 11, 1989 |
Place of Birth | Honolulu, Hawaii |
Nationality | American |
Profession | Professional Golfer |
Early Life
Born on October 11, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Michelle Sung Wie grew up in a family with a strong passion for golf. Her parents, Bo and Byung-wook Wie, both immigrated from South Korea in the 1980s. Bo, a former Miss Korea beauty pageant contestant, was also a champion amateur golfer in South Korea, while Byung-wook was a professor at the University of Hawaii. From an early age, Wie showed incredible talent in golf, beginning to play at the age of four.
Michelle attended Punahou School in Honolulu, graduating in 2007. While she pursued a degree in communications at Stanford University, her education was unconventional as she took leaves of absence to compete in professional tournaments. By 2012, she completed her degree, all while maintaining a successful golf career.
Breakthrough
At just 10 years old, Michelle qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, becoming the youngest player to ever qualify for a USGA event. By the age of 11, she had already won multiple tournaments, including the Hawaii State Women’s Stroke Play Championship. In 2002, she made history again by qualifying for the LPGA Takefuji Classic, becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for an LPGA event.
At 13, Michelle became the youngest player to make the cut in an LPGA event, further solidifying her status as a golf prodigy. The following year, she competed in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open, where she became the youngest female to ever play in a PGA event and set a record for the lowest score by a woman in the tournament.
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Just before turning 16, Michelle Wie announced that she was turning professional, a decision that made waves in the golf community. She quickly signed lucrative endorsement deals with major brands like Nike and Sony, reportedly worth up to $10 million per year. Her first professional tournament was the 2005 LPGA Samsung World Championship, though her debut was marked by a disqualification due to an incorrect scorecard.
Despite early challenges, Wie’s professional career took off. She earned several key victories, including winning the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in 2009, the CN Canadian Women’s Open in 2010, and the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014 — her first major championship. In 2018, she also claimed victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Personal Life
In March 2019, Michelle became engaged to Jonnie West, the Director of Basketball Operations for the Golden State Warriors and son of NBA legend Jerry West. The couple married in Beverly Hills later that year and welcomed their first child, Makenna Kamalei Yoona West, in June 2020.
Michelle has also dabbled in entertainment, guest-starring on CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” and appearing in the 2021 documentary The Day Sports Stood Still. In late 2019, Wie expanded her career by joining CBS Sports as a golf analyst.
Real Estate
Over the years, Michelle Wie has made significant investments in real estate. In 2011, she purchased a home in Jupiter, Florida, for just under $4 million, which she sold in 2019 for $4.8 million. After her marriage, she and her husband bought a $3 million home in San Francisco, which they sold in 2021 for $3.5 million. In December 2021, the couple upgraded to a $5.7 million mansion in Encino, Los Angeles, which they listed for $6.5 million in 2024.
Michelle Wie Net Worth
Michelle Wie net worth is $20 million.