Not content with the fortune he pocketed from his May WBO welterweight world title fight with Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather walked away with another pile of money this weekend courtesy of some more sporting wins. Only this time, he was betting on the outcome, rather than dictating it.
A recent four-day betting spree netted the 38-year-old undefeated fighter USD$827,272.73 ($NZD1.13 million)—the world knows the precise amount because Mayweather, never one to do anything quietly, tweeted his success, including images of the winning betting slips, to his more than 6 million followers and posted them on his Instagram account, which has more than 7 million:
“The last 4 days have been great. I’m getting paid while watching others entertain and perform. I don’t do anything for free. I bet $350,000.00 and walked away with $827,272.73.”
Mayweather, who is renowned for his lavish lifestyle and over-the-top displays of conspicuous consumption, made four bets—three on NBA games, one on a middleweight boxing match between Gennady Golovkin and Willie Monroe Jr— for a total stake of USD$350,000 (NZD$477,000).
The boxer wagered USD$50,000 (NZD$68,000) on the Houston Rockets beating the LA Clippers in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Play-offsm as well as a further USD$100,000 (NZD$136,000) bet on the Rockets +4.5 second-half spread in Game 7. This was combined with a USD$150,000 (NZD$204,000) bet on the Atlanta Hawks 3.5+ second half spread in their Eastern Conference Play-off against the Washington Wizards.
The boxing bet, however, was a particularly close call. Mayweather had wagered USD$50,000 (NZD$68,000) that the Golovkin v Monroe would last less than 5.5 rounds. The fight was stopped and Golovkin declared the winner 45 seconds into the sixth round, leaving just 46 seconds to spare.
However, even if his bet hadn’t come off, it would be hard to feel any great pain on Mayweather’s behalf. The final numbers are yet to be crunched, but it’s estimated he earned in the region of USD$400 million (NZD$544.74 million) from the Pacquiao fight—roughly USD$1 million for every blow he landed during the bout.
This is far from Mayweather’s first big winning streak—in October 2014 he won around USD$4 million (NZD$5.45 million) betting on NFL games, including two wins well in excess of $1 million, although his record win remains the USD$6. 49 million (NZD$8.84 million) he won in 2013 after backing the Miami Heat to beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA.
