8 Things Tiger Woods Could Have Bought With $800m

The 15-time Major winner reportedly turned down the figure offered by LIV Golf - here's what it could have bought him

Tiger Woods pictured with a plane, private island and F1 car
(Image credit: Future)

Some of the sums of money reportedly paid to players to lure them to the LIV Golf Invitational Series have been staggering, from the $125m apparently paid to Dustin Johnson to the even larger figure said to have been paid to Phil Mickelson to sign up for the Saudi-backed venture.

 

Video: Things You Didn't Know About Tiger Woods

However, even those incredible sums are dwarfed by the amount Tiger Woods was apparently offered to join the Series – between $700m and $800m. Perhaps as amazing as those figures is the fact that the 15-time Major-winning legend turned the offer down! Needless to say, $800m can buy some impressive things. So let’s look at what Woods could have spent the money on.

Airbus A380 - $450m

An Airbus A380 in flight

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tiger could have travelled to future tournaments in his very own passenger airliner – the world’s largest, the double-decked Airbus A380. Of course, that would have left lots of room for 850 or so friends and family to join him. Not only that, but at “just” $450m, the 46-year-old would still have had plenty of change left over for a few other luxuries.

Villa Leopolda - $750m

An aerial image of Villa Leopolda

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This spectacular home has a size of 2,700 square metres, with 10 bedrooms set in an eight-acre park – plenty of space for a few practice swings. The home also boasts stunning architecture and some expensive artwork. It has featured in several films, too, including To Catch A Thief starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Of course, location is also important, and it doesn’t get much more exclusive or idyllic than its sumptuous setting overlooking the Mediterranean in the French Riviera’s Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Eclipse Superyacht - $472m

Eclipse, the private luxury yacht of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, anchors at Cruise Port in Marmaris district of Mugla, Turkiye on March 22, 2022

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If Woods really wanted to get away from it all in style, he could have bought a superyacht with his LIV Golf riches. The most expensive to date is Eclipse, purchased by Roman Abramovich for reportedly $472m in 2010. The 162.5 metre (533 ft 2 in) vessel boasts two helicopter pads, two swimming pools, 24 guest cabins and even a disco hall among its many luxuries. With the change from the purchase Woods would even have enough left over for...

Private Island - $160m

A private island in the Maldives

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Woods’ immense fame means there won’t be many places he can travel without being quickly recognised. A private island would have been the perfect way to spend some of his LIV Golf Invitational Series cash. In fact, he could have had several, with a current asking price of “just” $160m for Rangyai Island in Thailand. Closer to home, Pumpkin Key off the coast of Wood’s Florida home could have been his for a mere $95m.

McLaren F1 Team - $620m

Daniel Ricciardo in practice before the 2021 Grand Prix of Styria

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In 2020, Woods revealed to Golf Digest that he once had a huge passion for F1, particularly when Michael Schumacher was in his prime for the dominant Ferrari in the 1990s. Alas, the Italian team would have been a long way out of reach of Woods’ budget, at $1.35bn, but if reported estimated values are correct, he could have still stumped up the money for the third most expensive team, McLaren, with plenty of cash to spare.

Newcastle United Football Club - $305m

A general view of Newcastle United's St James's Park ground

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Woods may have rejected the offer from LIV Golf to spearhead its inaugural season, but had he taken it, he’d have had more than enough to buy another asset of the Public Investment Fund that backs it. The Saudis reportedly spent $305m purchasing Newcastle United football club last year. Woods would have struggled elsewhere, though – Chelsea FC was sold for $3.2bn earlier this year, while the most expensive sports club of all, NFL team Dallas Cowboys, is thought to be worth around $7.6bn. The NFL team Woods supports, Las Vegas Raiders, would also have been well beyond his budget, at $6.5bn.

Salvator Mundi – $450m

'Salvator Mundi' by Leonardo da Vinci at Christie's New York Auction House in November2017

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece was sold at auction to Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017 for just over $450m. Some experts have expressed doubts as to its authenticity. If Woods was comfortable he had a Da Vinci original, though, he would have no doubt given it pride of place in his Florida home.

34,000 Bitcoins - $800m

US dollars and bitcoin in Fuyang, Anhui Province, China

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the current inflationary environment, $800m would soon begin losing some of its value sat in Woods’ bank account. If that became a worry, he could buy around 34,000 of the world’s most famous cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is known for its volatility, of course, so there’s no guarantee it would hold its value either, but at less than half the cost of last year’s all-time high, it may have been a good time to buy. With a finite supply of 21 million, Woods would have had around 1/617 of the total number that will ever exist.

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.