Athletes

Billie Jean King Net Worth: How Rich Is the Tennis Hall of Famer in 2022?

Published

3 years ago

February 14, 2022

King is an American former world No. 1 tennis player who is best known for securing 39 Grand Slam titles. The Billie Jean King net worth figure is estimated to be around $22 million as of 2022.

tennis hall of famer billie jean king at cipriani 42nd street — NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: Billie Jean King attends the 2021 International Tennis Hall Of Fame Legends Ball at Cipriani 42nd Street on September 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for International Tennis Hall of Fame)

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Early Life

Full Name	Billie Jean King
Birth Date / Age	November 22, 1943 / 78 Years Old
Birth Place	Long Beach, California, USA
Source of Wealth	Tennis
Relationship Status	Married To Ilana Kloss
Height	5 ft. 4 in. / 1.64 m.
Net Worth	$22 Million

Billie Jean King was born in November of 1943 in Long Beach, California to parents Bill Moffitt and Betty (née Jerman). Her father worked as a firefighter, while her mother remained a housewife.

Interestingly, Billie Jean’s brother Randy was a major league baseball pitcher. He played for 12 seasons in the MLB for the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Toronto Blue Jays.

She started playing tennis at the age of 11 after purchasing her first racket for $8. It didn’t take long for Billie Jean to begin turning heads with her play. She was known for her aggressive playstyle.

King graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1961 before enrolling at Los Angeles State College, now California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA).

Although not graduating in order to focus on tennis, she met and got engaged to Larry King.

tennis hall of famer bille jean king greets public during day 8 of 2021 akron wta finals — GUADALAJARA, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 17: Tennis legend Billie Jean King greets public next to the Single’s trophy name after her during Day 8 of 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara at Centro Panamericano de Tenis on November 17, 2021 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Billie Jean King Net Worth and Career

Between 1959 and 1965, King solidified herself as arguably the most promising young female tennis prospect in the world. By 1966, she entered her prime, ready to begin winning major tournaments.

In 1967, she was awarded the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. Remarkably, King won three Wimbledons, a U.S. Championship, and an Australian Championship from 1966 to 1968.

After hitting a dry spell the next two years, Billie Jean rose to absolute prominence over the next five years.

Over that span, King brought home a trio of U.S. Open titles, three more Wimbledon titles, along with a French Open title on the clay surface.

In total, Bille Jean King won 39 Grand Slam titles, 12 of which were in singles tournaments, while 16 were in doubles, with 11 being mixed doubles. It’s reported that she earned a total of $1.97 million in prize money.

Impressively, Billie Jean became the first tennis player to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1972. Also, she was the first woman to ever receive the honor.

Additionally, Life magazine named her one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” in 1990.

Work Outside of Tennis

Over the years, Billie Jean founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, the Women’s Tennis Association, and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Moreover, she co-founded World Team Tennis.

Not only that, but King is a part of the ownership group of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Also notable, she is an Adidas Global Ambassador.

King has written a pair of books in her career. The first in 2008, titled Pressure Is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes. Meanwhile, the second titled All In: An Autobiography was released in 2021.

Currently, the tennis Hall of Famer possesses 536,000 followers on her Twitter account. To go along with that, King has 113,000 Instagram followers as of February 2022.

Althea Gibson would visit Sportsmen’s Tennis Club in Dorchester, MA in the late 1970s to teach the women on the tour. It was the only Black-owned club at the time.

Shown here w/Althea, L to R, are Zina Garrison, the late Andrea Buchanan, & Leslie Allen. #FlashbackFriday #BHM pic.twitter.com/orTkz1GsDx
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) February 11, 2022

Personal Life and Other Achievements

For her work advocating for the rights of women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, President Barack Obama awarded King the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Five years after getting engaged to Larry King in 1964, Billie Jean realized she had an attraction to women. Their marriage finally ended in 1987 and Billie fell in love with her doubles partner, Ilana Kloss. The couple married in October 2018.

Billie Jean King Net Worth

The Billie Jean King net worth figure of $22 million has been amassed over decades of work both on the tennis court and off of it. She made millions on the court, but she also excelled in her career post-tennis.

Her endorsements as well as her foundations have elevated her net worth to where it is today. Recently, it was announced that King would be an advisor to First Women’s Bank in Chicago. At 77 years of age, Billie Jean is still active and making money.