Athletes That Use Their Wealth To Make A Difference In The World
Sports athletes make millions of dollars for their hard work and while most of them like to spend that money on fast cars and a luxurious lifestyle, others love to give back to the world. Today we are going to show you the top 20 most generous athletes who are making a difference in the world by donating money to charities and even starting their own foundations.
20. Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick is known for being the first NFL athlete to protest against the national anthem, but what many people don’t know about him is that he donates one million dollars every year to a charity that helps “oppressed people and communities”.
19. Lance Armstrong
Yes, Lance Armstrong is infamous for being caught cheating in nearly all his races. However, Lance Armstrong has made up for that mistake by launching the “Lance Armstrong Foundation” which endorses the Live Strong message and raises cancer awareness.
18. Derek Jeter
Some of you might know Derek Jeter for being a baseball all-star, but this is not everything there is to know about this athlete. Derek Jeter also started the “Turn 2 Foundation” which focuses on helping kids find their path in life.
17. Ronda Rousey
Even though Ronda Rousey might not be a UFC champion anymore, she doesn’t let this get in the way of helping people who need it. Ronda Rousey donats millions of dollars to help people who suffer from mental health issues.
16. Michael Phelps
When Michael Phelps is not winning gold medals at the Olympics, he is donating money to foundations that focus on helping children. Now, this is what we call a good role model! Talking about good role models, we think you’d agree with who is next on our list.
15. Lebron James
There aren’t that many athletes who will reach the same stardom as Lebron James. The great thing about this basketball legend is the fact that he uses his fame to shine the spotlight on numerous non-profit organizations and he even started his own “I Promise” school.
14. Cristiano Ronaldo
Who doesn’t love Cristiano Ronaldo? Just like Lebron James, the famous soccer player donates millions of dollars to charities all around the world. Not only that, but Cristiano Ronaldo also gave 100,000 pounds to the hospital that helped save his mother’s life.
13. Serena Williams
There is never going to be a more dominant female tennis player that manages to achieve all that Serena Williams did on the court. However, Serena Williams also used her wealth and fame to build two schools in Kenya and to help the poor children in Ghana.
12. John Cena
John Cena is an all-around great guy. The cool thing about John Cena is that he is the only athlete in the world that granted more than 500 wishes for children who signed up for the Make-A-Wish foundation.
11. Eli Manning
Eli Manning is a two time Super Bowl quarterback and he used all the attention he was getting to raise money for the “Tackle Kids Cancer” foundation and to build “The Eli Manning’s Children’s Clinics”.
10. David Beckham
David Beckham is one of the world’s most renowned soccer players and he supported the “UNICEF” foundation throughout his career. Not just that, but David Beckham talks about helping poor children at every chance he gets.
9. Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols is a great MLB all-star and he spends most of his time working on his own “The Pujols Family Foundation” that focuses on helping people who are struggling with Down Syndrome.
8. Larry Fitzgerald
Even though Larry Fitzgerald is a beast on the field, he still is a good-hearted man. The NFL wide receiver volunteers all his free time to charities and he even won the “Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award” because of this.
7. Russel Wilson
Despite being a busy man, Russel Wilson spends most of his time visiting children at the Seattle Children’s Hospital and bringing smiles on their face. Isn’t this amazing?
6. Neymar
Some might say that Neymar is a cocky soccer player, but that is on the field. When Neymar is not playing soccer, he is donating money to charities and also helping bring clean water to everyone in Brazil.
5. Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh is a big defensive lineman for the Miami Dolphin and this makes him feared by other players. However, the man is loved by everyone else because he spends millions of dollars donating to charities via “The Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation”.
4. Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristi Yamaguchi is the most successful figure skater ever to live and she created the “Always Dream Foundation” back in 1996. The foundation focuses on bringing positive influence in the lives of children and helps them buy computers.
3. Jeff Gordon
Do you love watching NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon race? Well, you are going to love him even more after you find out that he started the “Jeff Gordon Foundation” back in 1999 and he has been donating millions of dollars to it ever since.
2. Mike Mussina
Just like most charitable athletes, Mike Mussina created his own foundation and he is helping unprivileged children from Pennsylvania high schools get money for college.
1. Dikembe Mutombo
The reason why Dikembe Mutombo is number one on our list is because he donated 15 million dollars back in 2007 to help build a 300-bed hospital in Congo.