The thing about rich people is that they make their lifestyle seem so effortless that it gives off the impression that they’ve had money their entire lives. However, that is not always the case, and Maria Sharapova’s life is a great example of that fact.
Many of you may not know this, but Sharapova comes from a very humble background before she became a world-famous tennis player. In fact, she moved to the US with her father to work on becoming a tennis player when she was 6 years old, with a mere $700 in their pockets.
Just like most dads, Sharapova’s father dedicated all his time and energy in ensuring that he fulfilled all of her needs and allowed her to focus on her game. Sharapova could be found at the tennis academy called Nick Bollettieri, located in Florida, and meanwhile, her dad worked multiple jobs to pay for everything, including their household rent as well as other necessities.
It wasn’t a luxurious accommodation they lived in. According to Sharapova’s book Unstoppable, the rent was $250 per month which allowed them access to a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and also a television (which allowed her to learn the English language), and they used the pull-out couch as their bed.
From an investment perspective, her father has done wonderfully well. When she was only 17 years old, Sharapova was declared the winner of the coveted Wimbledon title back in 2004, which was followed by a total of five titles of Grand Slam, earning her a cumulative 560K pounds as earnings. Till date, she has earned a cumulative $38 million as prize money throughout her career, and for a good 11 years ranked in first place as the best-paid woman athlete in the world.
She Is Wise With The Way She Spends Her Money
But her riches have not blinded Sharapova to the realities of life. Having grown up in difficult circumstances, Sharapova knows the importance of money and how the lack of it can create so many problems.
Always assuming that her tennis career could end at any moment for whatever reason, especially considering the fact that she faced a major injury in her shoulder back in 2008 from which she eventually recovered, Sharapova invested in a candy company by the name of Sugarpova back in 2012 as a way of diversifying her income stream.
However, even with her company, she holds the same approach. She understands that the company may not always perform well, either due to internal problems or because of competitors who may enter the market in the future. Hence, she is careful to not spend extravagantly.
Money Does Not Buy Happiness
Although many of us think about spending on material things whenever we find ourselves with a considerable amount of money at our disposal, either in the form of savings or as Christmas bonuses, Sharapova is not inclined to do the same. She firmly believes that material things are not a sustained source of happiness, and hence spending excessively on them is a waste of her hard earned income.
She thanks her parents for instilling a very positive and careful approach to money within her. Her earliest allowances amounted to a mere $6 per week, which is barely enough to buy a decent meal these days. Her family used to own a Honda which was in a very run-down condition, and when she finally got her first car (which came after she did her first deal with a car sponsorship), she found the electronically-controlled windows to be a revolutionary concept.
Rich people are also famous for spending on luxury yachts, but Sharapova prefers spending her time on land and hence, although she can afford to go out on a yacht every summer without putting a big dent in her savings, she chooses not to do it.
As of 2018, Sharapova was estimated to be worth a whopping $195 million, which is expected to grow considering the investments she has made, either in business or in other ventures.