12 Star Athletes Making a Second Fortune With Savvy Investments

As one of the most successful American-born goaltenders in NHL history, Mike Richter is best known for leading the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup title in 1994 -- the franchise's first championship in 54 years. He was elected into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008 after an impressive 15-year career between the pipes.

Richter's success has not been confined to the ice. He has become a recognized environmentalist, making big money while saving the planet. Richter's firm, Environmental Capital Partners, makes equity investments of $5 million to $25 million in environmental companies that "prevent, limit or correct environmental damage to water, air, soil or human health."

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Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway is well known for his late-game comebacks, sidearm style and amazing arm strength, but very few people know that one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game has also become one of the most investment-savvy athletes after his retirement.

Shortly after his retirement, Elway made some strategic investment moves. He has been co-owner of the Arena Football team "Colorado Crush" since 2002. The league suspended operations in 2009, but have recently rejuvenated the league. Elway's Colorado team is looking to revamp the team for the 2012 season.

Elway is also owner of two steakhouse restaurants, appropriately named "Elway's" -- both located in the Denver metro area. He also owns two Toyota Scion dealerships and one Nissan dealership, all located in California.

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Oscar De La Hoya has 10 world titles under his belt in six different weight classes. He won the gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games not long after graduating high school and has earned a record $696 million in pay-per-view income throughout his career. 

And then there are his efforts outside of the ring. De La Hoya released a Grammy-nominated CD, authorized a children's picture book titled "Super Oscar," published an autobiography, starred in a boxing reality series, and his image graces the cover of the video game "Fight Night Round 3."

His promotional firm, Golden Boy Promotions, organizes and promotes headlining events across the U.S., including one of its most lucrative events, the 2006 Mayweather-De La Hoya bout, that sold over $2 million in pay-per-view revenues and netted De La Hoya $43 million. Its parent company, Golden Boy Enterprises, owns a 25% stake in the Houston Dynamos, several boxing related-magazine titles, a variety of Mexican newspapers and has investments in a number of consumer products.

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Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash is a seasoned, 15-year veteran of the NBA and still going strong. His creativity on the court has earned him the league MVP twice. Nash is a huge fan favorite around the league, but what many fans don't know is that his creativity off the court has also turned him into a seasoned vet of investing and venture capitalism. 

In 2007, Nash opened the first Steve Nash Sports Club in downtown Vancouver with business partner Leonard Schlemm. The sports club is a high-end, $5 million, 38,500 square-foot facility that was designed to match Nash's fitness philosophy. In the same year, Nash started an independent film company called Meathawk with his cousin, filmmaker Ezra Holland.

In 2009, Nash teamed up with advertising executive Mike Duda to start a hybrid venture capital firm and marketing consultancy. The firm, Consigliere, is based out of New York and offers fee-based marketing services, as well as seed-stage capital. Consigliere also invests capital in consumer products that can benefit from creative marketing in order to "help accelerate unique ideas into wonderfully disruptive business successes."

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A two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepeneur, George Foreman has done it all.

Over 200 million "George Foreman Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine" units have been sold worldwide. In fact, as the official endorser of the grill, it is estimated that Foreman has made over $200 million -- a sum nearly three times larger than what he earned as a boxer.

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Mario Lemieux led the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cup wins as a player, and again as the team owner in 2009. He is the only player to work for a team as both a player and the owner, assuming the roles of chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of the Penguins in 1999 when he became the principal owner of the bankrupt franchise.

Poor management throughout the 1990s left the Penguins on the brink of financial ruin at the end of the decade, going so far as to request prominent players to defer their salaries. The Penguins eventually declared bankruptcy in 1998, and it looked like the franchise would be forced to fold altogether. This is when Lemieux stepped in with an interesting proposal.

As one of the team's largest creditors -- with nearly $30 million owed in deferred salaries -- Lemieux offered to convert his back pay into equity and, in turn, acquire the team with the promise of paying back in full each of its creditors. The NHL's Board of Governors agreed to this proposal, and by 2005 the Penguins were clear of their debt, thanks to Lemieux's perseverance. By 2009, the Penguins were back on top with a Stanley Cup win to mark their return.  

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Roger Federer is widely considered to be the greatest tennis player of all time. On the courts, the Swiss star held the ATP No. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, captured a record 16 Grand Slam titles, and is one of only seven players to complete the career Grand Slam (winning Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open and U.S. Open Grand Slam titles). His total career earnings from tennis top $62 million. 

Off the courts, Federer spends a great deal of time promoting social efforts. His Roger Federer Foundation supports disadvantaged youth in South Africa, he often donates autographed items to charity auctions, and he has organized several player-sponsored fundraisers for disaster relief.

His long list of endorsement deals includes Wilson, Nike, Gillette, Lindt chocolates, Jura, Rolex, NetJets and Mercedes-Benz. In 2009 alone, Federer earned an estimated $61 million from prize money, endorsements and appearance fees. Federer also owns his own brand in conjunction with Nike, add ing to the already lucrative business of being Roger Federer.

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The man who took his talents to Miami last summer has now taken his checkbook to England -- Liverpool, England to be exact. Miami Heat superstar LeBron James recently bought a minority stake in the legendary Liverpool Football Club (FC) from its club owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG). Liverpool FC is one of the most popular and powerful sports franchises in the world, with 18 championships at the top level of English football and five European Cup trophies.

The deal between LeBron James' sports-marketing firm, LRMR Branding & Marketing, and FSG signifies the first time a professional athlete at the top of his game has gained ownership stake in a professional team of this international magnitude -- the size, reach and power of Liverpool FC is matched by only a select few. LeBron James has always aspired to be a global icon, much like Michael Jordan, and this investment in Liverpool FC is considered by most savvy investors as an intelligent business move.

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Whether you like Tiger Woods or not, you cannot deny that he knows the game of golf. So much so that, in 2006, he began designing and developing golf courses around the world. His first course was developed in the United Arab Emirates. Tiger Woods Dubai features a par-72 course, a 60,000 square-foot clubhouse, a golf academy, 320 exclusive villas and a boutique hotel. As of print time, this course has yet to be completed.

Woods has also announced plans for courses in the U.S. and Mexico. His U.S. course, The Cliffs in North Carolina, is planned to be built in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. The golf course in Mexico, named Punta Brava, will be located on oceanfront property near Ensenada, Baja California.

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Michael Jordan did just about anything and everything that could be done on the basketball court -- a human highlight reel. Jordan is the most iconic name and marketed sports figure on the planet, attached securely to a legendary career and personal life that are well documented. Much of Jordan's success can be attributed to a tenacious work ethic and unmatched competitive nature. So, after retiring for a third time in 2003, no one expected Michael "Air" Jordan to just sit idley by.

Once his playing days were over, Jordan continued to do what he does best... win. By the time of his retirement, he already had a well-established Jordan Brand clothing line, including Nike's "Air Jordans," and the Michael Jordan Steakhouse in Grand Central Terminal in New York City -- a fine-dining experience that focuses on Jordan as a businessman, not a player.

Jordan also invested his money back into the world of sports. In 2004, Jordan launched Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team. In 2010, he became majority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, making him the first former NBA player ever to become the majority owner of a league franchise.

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