What is Megan Rapinoe's net worth?
Perhaps the most recognizable female player in world soccer, Megan Rapinoe is one of few athletes to have truly transcended sport to become a public voice.
A popular groundswell of support for Megan Rapinoe to run for US president after the USWNT triumphed at the 2019 World Cup, where she won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball, is an indication of the appeal of the OL Reign captain beyond the pitch. The 36-year-old USWNT star winger is a vocal advocate of LGBTQ rights and unafraid to speak her mind: during that 2019 campaign she entered into a social media war of words with then-White House incumbent Donald Trump and, perhaps unsurprisingly and despite online spats rarely producing winners, Rapinoe emerged with her reputation enhanced.
Not only has she been outspoken on those issues, but she has also been a voice for the next generation of women in soccer by fighting for equal pay. On February 23rd, 2022, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, as well as other teammates, were proud to see a $24 million settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation in their equal pay lawsuit.
Rapinoe said, "the justice comes in the next generation never having to go through what we went through."
Rapinoe the cultural icon
Her activism initially reached the wider public attention in 2016 when she kneeled during the US national anthem in support of NFL star Colin Kaepernick. “Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties,” she explained. In a sport governed by play-it-safe soundbites and the desire not to ruffle the feathers of the money men, Rapinoe has made her mark in campaigning for equal pay on the pitch and equality off it.
Rapinoe’s star appeal has led to appearances on flagship US television shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Daily Show, The Today Show and The Rachel Maddow Show, among others, and she has regularly dipped her toe into politics, endorsing Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Primaries and meeting Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House shortly after the serving president’s election victory over Trump.
Sponsors and endorsements have been plentiful for the triple World Cup-winning winger, who has represented Nike, Samsung, BodyArmor, Procter & Gamble, Budweiser, Hulu and VISA and was recently handed a deal by Victoria’s Secret to front their 2021 campaign.
Rapinoe is the fourth-best paid player in women’s football behind teammates Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr with a reported salary of $447,000 per year at OL Reign. However, she has been outspoken about the lack of fair pay in women's soccer. As of February 23rd and moving forward, men and women will receive equal pay in U.S. Women's Soccer,
Forbes estimates that Rapinoe earned $4.2 million in 2020, placing her just outside the top 10 on their highest-paid female athletes list (and slightly lower than teammate Morgan) on the back of her stellar 2019 World Cup campaign and her hugely popular stance against Trump.
President Rapinoe?
Like Morgan, specialist website celebritynetworth.com estimates that Rapinoe’s net worth is in the region of $3m. That figure is likely to increase greatly when she retires from football with her oratory skills in great demand and her global appeal a magnet to companies wishing to drive their brand. And who can rule out a career in politics?
In a 2020 interview with Anand Giridharadas, Rapinoe said she would not close the door on a move into the political sphere but that if she was to run for anything, it would have to be the “biggest, baddest post” available.