Serena Williams and Her Sister Venus Made NFL History
Venus and Serena Williams have been in the spotlight since they were just children. While the pair rose to become two of the greatest tennis players in history, their image went far beyond the tennis court. They are entrepreneurs, business people, models, and pioneers for African American women in sports. In 2009, they used all of this to make history in the NFL by buying into a star-studded Miami Dolphins ownership group.
Serena Williams’ wealth
As one of the greatest tennis players to ever live, Serena was always going to be rich on that basis alone. After all, after going professional before she was able to drive, Serena dominated the sport by her twenties. She worked with her father and sister consistently and became a behemoth in women’s tennis. However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has far more than tennis on her resume
Serena always knew how to market herself. The wins helped matters, but Williams was able to parlay the attention she got on the tennis court into several other ventures. Now, she is a business owner, fashion designer, Nike spokesperson, public speaker, and so much more To pigeon-hole Serena into one thing is to do her a great disservice.
While women in sports always have to start behind the men, Williams is one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, and it isn’t just because of her amazing skills. She has charm, charisma, and a refusal to ever back down from any challenge.
As a businessperson, this has made her quite wealthy. She currently boasts a net worth of over $180 million, and that number is likely to grow with each new venture.
Venus Williams’ wealth
Had Venus not been Serena’s sister, she might get more recognition for her place in women’s tennis. While she might not have the same resume that her sister does, few people do. Despite this, Venus is still one of the best tennis players ever, and like her sister, she knows how to use this to her advantage. Like her sister, she dips her toes in many waters
Venus invests her money in several companies to give women a more prominent standing in the business world. She’s an investor in the UFC and one of the leading money-givers in Ellevest, which invests in businesses owned by women. Venus has long fought both in and out of tennis for pay equality between men and women, and her investments show this trend.
A natural spokesperson given her status, Venus has endorsed everything from Tide to Wilson sporting goods. All of this made her very rich. According to The Street, Venus is worth $95 million. While her tennis career may be winding down, the other side may just be getting started.
The family business
Much like Venus and Serena do on the tennis court in doubles matches, they collaborate away from tennis. One of the most notable instances of this occurred in 2009 when the pair invested in the Miami Dolphins with a star-studded ownership group that included Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and Gloria Estefan.
The sisters, who both keep residences in Florida, were happy to join the Dolphins’ ownership group.
“To have this opportunity is really where our heart is,” Venus said at the time (per ESPN). “We’re South Florida girls. When we get off the road, this is where we come home to. When we come home to Dolphins games, it’s going to be exciting.”
The sisters were the first female African-American sports owners in the NFL. This is no small task for a group like NFL owners. While the investment was relatively small, the sisters remain with the team today. As more and more athletes begin to take on stakes such as these, the Williams sister can take solace knowing that they were pioneers in more ways than they already were.
