Coco Gauff’s father reacts to LeBron James' self-made billionaire Olympian status
Father of U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff, Corey, shared a revelation regarding the wealth of LA Lakers star LeBron James. According to one post on social media, James is the first billionaire athlete to compete in the Olympics. Forbes reported that the star forward became a billionaire in June 2022.
Athletes have earned a significant amount of money through their respective sports and also the endorsement deals they get. In some cases, they pursue businesses to help grow their empire, which is what James has done over the years. Even as an active athlete, he got into business and even invested in a few sports teams.
However, Corey made his claim regarding which athlete was the first billionaire to compete in the Olympics. According to him, a tennis star, not James, was the first billionaire athlete to participate in the tournament. He also shared that it happened in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Often dubbed as the "World's Richest Tennis Player," Jessica Peluga was born into wealth. Both her parents are billionaires and it has given others the impression that the tennis star is also worth billions. However, during Wimbledon in 2023, Pegula clarified to the public about her wealth. According to her, she isn't a billionaire, only her parents are.
"I personally don’t have that money," the tennis star said.
According to Yahoo! Life in March 2024, Pegula has a net worth of $12 million. This means that James is still the first billionaire athlete to compete in the Olympics.
Coco Gauff was in fan mode with LeBron James during the opening ceremony
Coco Gauff was chosen as the female flag-bearer of the 2024 Paris Olympics opening rituals and did it with LeBron James.
Gauff couldn't believe the experience that she was fortunate to have.
"This is crazy," Gauff said. "Look! LeBron James!"
James played it cool and posed for the camera as they held the flag over the Seine River, passing the Eiffel Tower.
Also read: PHOTO: LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry recreate iconic Michael Jordan-Magic Johnson-Larry Bird image ahead of 2024 Olympics first game