From UFC champ to business entrepreneur: how does Conor McGregor spend his millions?

Oct 7 , 2019

Conor McGregor’s 2019 BMW i8 has a suggested retail price starting at US$142,000. Photo: Instagram/thenotoriousmma

From launching a whiskey brand and a fashion label to buying a US$2 million mansion and two yachts, the Irishman and MMA fighter loves to flaunt his wealth – and he is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world

“The Notorious” Conor McGregor is known as one of the best mixed martial artists (MMA) in the world. Despite his reputation as a loose canon charged with multiple criminal offences, his talent in the ring and ability to draw a crowd are undeniable. Just last month, he ranked #12 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings and #3 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

According to Forbes, the Irishman made US$47 million in the past year through endorsements, side ventures, a base salary of US$3 million, and fight pay of US$30 million. His total net worth is estimated around US$110 million, establishing him as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

McGregor isn’t shy with the public about much of anything – and certainly not when it comes to his wealth.

“I’m 30 now, say by about 35 I’ll be a billionaire,” he boasted in March. How does McGregor plan to get there? And what does the theatrical fighter plan to spend his fortune on?

Bad whiskey or bad boy whiskey?

Earlier this year, six months after Khabib Nurmagomedov beat him in a title fight in Las Vegas in October 2018, McGregor claimed he was retiring from “Mixed Martial Art”.

Fans were dubious about the announcement, however, as he had threatened to retire several times in the past. Some believe that the announcement was a publicity stunt to draw attention to “Proper Whiskey”, the alcohol brand he had just launched.

In its first six months, Proper Whiskey sold almost 200,000 cases, amounting to 2.4 million bottles of liquor. McGregor seems to believe that this will help his fortune skyrocket, but according to a reporter at Business Insider who was sent a free bottle, the spirit “tasted like bad whiskey watered down with cheap vanilla extract”.