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Wayne Gretzky Net Worth: Lifestyle, Business & Records
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Wayne Gretzky is a former Canadian hockey player who is currently one of the most influential persons in the sporting world.
Amassing Wayne Gretzky Net Worth of more than $250 million, the mogul has generated tremendous cash flow after his retirement and used it to create an empire that he now sits on top of.
Born Wayne Douglas Gretzky on January 26, 1961, the former hockey star also acted as the head coach for Brantford. He gave outstanding performances throughout his career and broke more than 61 records in the NHL, and is considered a legend of the game.
In a glittering career that spanned two-decades-long, Wayne Gretzky played for four teams in the NHL and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame immediately after his retirement in 1999.
Wayne Gretzky Net Worth as Player:
The Canadian hockey star earned almost $46 million in salaries during his tenure at the NHL and has since gone on to exponentially grow that amount to a multi-million dollar revenue source.
At the age of thirteen, Gretzky was offered a 10-year contract by Pocklington for $3 million. And later, he would go on to sign an $8 million contract with New York Rangers as well.
With passive income from various endorsement deals and adverts, it is estimated that his income today would be somewhat around $150 million, adjusted to inflation.
Recently, The New York Post reported that Gretzky was being hired by Turner Sports for $5 million as a studio analyst of the game, and not the entire game session, but only to make his comments on key events.
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LIFESTYLE AND FAMILY:
Wayne Gretzky, along with his wife, Janet, lived in a 13,000 sq ft mansion in Thous, and Oaks, California. The 7-acre land is highly guarded, and the privacy of the family is kept the topic of utmost priority.
The luxury mansion has six bedrooms, eight baths and consists of the main house and two guest houses.
The building complex opened up to a motor court with spectacular scenes of the beautiful Lake Sherwood and a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the Santa Monica Mountains in the background.
In 2007, however, the Gretzkys decided to move out of the mansion, selling it to baseball star Lenny Dykstra who then had to sell it because of foreclosure. The Gretskys yet again bought the place back for almost $15 dollars, and the house has now been put on the market again for the fourth time, for a sum of $23 million.
Wayne Gretzky has said that the house was too big for the couple’s needs; thus, he decided to put it on the market.
The phenomenal campus of the mansion is jaw-dropping and makes us all jealous. The living room is filled with huge windows and spectacular distant views across the Conejo Valley, and a Wimbledon-sized grass tennis court, a huge Swimming pool, and a fully equipped gym make it all the more exclusive.
There is also a detached garage on the outside which houses four cars that Gretzky uses at his preference.
With all five kids of the Gretzky couple living independently out of the house, it had become difficult for them to manage and maintain the big mansion and the complex.
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AUTHOR:
As many might already be aware, Wayne Gretzky has written many books regarding his life and career history. Gretzky: An Autobiography which was published in 1990, and 99: My Life in Pictures, printed in 1999, explain some details about Gretzky that nobody else knows.
He has even written books about Hockey, the thing he loves the most. 99: Stories of the Game, a book based on the history of Hockey, went on to become one of the best sellers in Canada the year it was released.
BUSINESS VENTURES:
After retiring from a remarkable NHL career, Wayne Gretzky started using his time and money to make a fortune. He initially invested heavily in various sports clubs as a stakeholder, with even some teams asking him to become a part-owner right after his retirement.
Before his retirement, he had already dipped his toes in the water of business by investing in Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 1985. He later sold the club after seven years in charge and made quite a profit from it.
He invested some of that money to purchase shares of Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League but went on to sell that too in 1994.
One of his initial turnaround moments came when he purchased a rare Honus Wagner cigarette card for $451,000 in partnership with a friend. A couple of years later, the duo decided to place the rare collectible in the market and successfully sold it for a whopping $2.8 million dollars, making both of them a fortune.
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From Foods to Pillowcases
Gretzky and his friend McNall used their money in various other investment opportunities, including racehorses. Lucky for them, their horse won France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, making them some more money.
Because of the popularity and success of Gretzky’s gaming career, he was a regular choice for brand endorsements and adverts, making him one of the highest-paid athletes brand endorsers in North America.
During the 1970s and 80s, he got deals from companies like Domino’s Pizza, Coca-Cola Company, Sharp Corporation, Upper Deck Company, and many others.
Apart from that, he invested in products like pillowcases, partnered with sports equipment manufacturers, and also invested in insurance companies to increase his growth.
Gretzky was also included in the 2010 NHL Slapshot, a video game by EA Sports.
OTHER BUSINESSES:
As recent as 2017, Gretzky invested in partly owning a winery, and distillery along with Andrew Peller Ltd. The products bore the name of Wayne Gretzky Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Not just that, Gretzky also owns a number of restaurants in downtown Toronto, and in 2016 opened up another one at the Edmonton International Airport with the Name No.99 Gretzky’s Wine & Whisky.
Since then, he has gone on to add to the chains of his restaurants, and in 2018, he established Studio 99 in Edmonton, Alberta.
CHARITABLE WORKS:
Wayne Gretzky is not a person who only thinks about himself. Apart from creating a business empire from his life earnings, Gretzky also knows when to give back to the community.
In 2002, Gretzky founded the Wayne Gretzky Foundation. The organization works to provide less fortunate youths with the experience of hockey sports. He also helps by donating hockey equipment and ice time while also providing the opportunity for youths and children to attend professional hockey games.
The Wayne Gretzky Foundation trusts that Hockey instills many positive life skills necessary for the emotional and social growth of the youths.
To make matters more practical, the foundation annually conducts events and galas to raise funds from various donations and corporate sponsorships, and the proceedings are then used in the development of better hockey prospects in Canada.
Wayne Gretzky has also opened up a hockey school in Canada where the youth can enroll for a small fee which then goes to serve the objectives of the Wayne Gretzky Foundation. The organization has raised more than a million dollars by this method.
Apart from that, Gretzky also supports various charities like the Arthritis Society of Canada, Casey Lee Ball Foundation, Bone Marrow Foundation, Lupus Canada, and more.
HOCKEY CAREER:
Before making his debut in the NHL, 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky signed a $1.7 million contract with Indianapolis Racers in the WHA. A few years later, when the WHA collapsed, Racers joined the NHL, paving the way for Gretzky to showcase his talent.
He would lead his team to four Stanley Cup victories, and in his first season, was named the NHL’s most valuable player.
He quickly became the first player in NHL history to score 200+ points in a single season. After spending almost 20 years in the field, Wayne decided to retire in 1999 after playing his last game for New York Rangers.
After his retirement, he was deemed fit for managerial positions and started to serve as the executive director of the Canadian National Men’s Hockey Team for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
In May 2000, in a partnership with Steven Ellman, he purchased the NHL team Pheonix Cayotes where he also served as the head coach from 2005 to 2009.
Wayne Gretzky was also appointed the vice-chairman and partner of Oilers Entertainment Group in 2016 and was made honorary chairman of the Open Ice Summit, which was held in August 1999, with the prime objective to discuss the tactics to improve Canadian ice hockey.
WAYNE GRETZKY’S LEGACY
With some of the most memorable and outstanding performances the NHL has ever seen, Wayne’s career was filled with accolades and honors. As the MVP in the NHL multiple times, he won nine Hart Trophies.
He was also given the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s top scorer across the season for ten years. On two occasions, in 1985 and 1988, Gretzky was named the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Lester B. Pearson Award, an honor given only to the NHL’s “most outstanding player,” was earned by Gretzky on five occasions without competition.
In respect of how much Wayne had done for the game of Hockey, his hometown of Brantford, Ontario, renamed the North Park Recreation Centre to The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, and also renamed Park Road North to “Wayne Gretzky Parkway.”
There is even a huge statue of him just outside the Staples Center, which was revealed that the Kings were holding a jersey retirement ceremony for Gretzky in 2002.
There have been several hockey awards in the United States and Canada named after Wayne for his immense contribution to the game.
As a tribute to the Gretzky, the Capilano freeway was renamed by the local government to Wayne Gretzky Drive in October 1999,
To honor international individuals who have made major contributions to the development and growth of Hockey in the United States, the US Hockey Hall of Fame has even created the Wayne Gretzky International Award as a gesture.
In 2017, Wayne Gretzky was named one of the greatest NHL players of all time, making the list of 100 players. He was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.
FUN FACTS AND TRIVIA
It is said that Gretzky learned to skate on the Nith River in Canning, Ontario, when he was only three years old.
The marriage of Wayne Gretzky and Janet was broadcasted live throughout Canada on television from Edmonton’s St. Joseph’s Basilica.
He endorsed the Conservation party and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the 2015 Canadian federal election campaign, which unfortunately did not perform well.
Gretzky was also named “The Great One” from the Great White North due to his scoring records in Hockey.
QUOTES
Some of the most inspirational Wayne Gretzky Quotes are:
“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest diseases, and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”
“You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.”
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.”
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