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Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian-born retired professional hockey player and entrepreneur. Being the "greatest" in sports is frequently a matter of opinion. Every new sports season, a new "greatest" athlete is crowned. However, there have only been a handful of athletes who have dominated the sport as well as Gretzky, to be deemed worthy of the "greatest" tag.
The former NHL player from Brantford, Ontario, Canada, began skating at the age of three and was competing against ten-year-olds in Canada at the age of six. He eventually had to move away from his hometown to continue playing because regional fans expressed their displeasure whenever he took the ice since his skill level eclipsed the other children around him. When the World Hockey Association folded in 1978, he moved to the NHL, where he played for Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and finally New York Rangers.
All of Wayne Gretzky's success, endorsement deals, and business ventures, including co-owning a restaurant and a successful sports equipment line, have netted him a sizable fortune of $250 million.
Wayne Gretzky earned a total of $46 million out of his NHL salary during his career. Over the course of his playing career, he earned an additional $50 million in endorsements. After adjusting for inflation, he earned roughly $150 million in total. He has wisely invested his money, creating an empire that includes sports team ownership, a vineyard, real estate ventures, and more.
After his playing career ended, Gretzky transitioned into management, becoming the executive director of the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team for the 2002 Winter Olympics. He later became a part-owner of Phoenix Coyotes, purchasing a 10% stake in the team in May 2000 with majority owner Steven Ellman. From October 2005 to September 2009, he was the team's coach. He was appointed vice-chairman and partner of the Oilers Entertainment Group in 2016.
Wayne Gretzky's Business Ventures And Endorsements
Wayne Gretzky, in addition to being a professional athlete, has made significant investments in sports team ownership. He purchased an ownership stake in Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for $175,000 CAD in 1985 and sold it for $550,000 CAD in 1992. When Bruce McNall bought Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 1991, Gretzky and John Candy were minority owners; they eventually sold the team in 1994. He teamed up with McNall once more to buy a rare Honus Wagner T206 cigarette card for $451,000 USD, which he later sold. Gretzky is also a partner in the sports equipment manufacturer First Team Sports and the roller hockey rink operator Worldwide Roller Hockey, Inc.
Furthermore, during his professional hockey career, Gretzky received numerous lucrative endorsement deals. Owing to his deals with major global brands such as Coca-Cola, Domino's Pizza, Sharp Corporation, and Upper Deck Company, he was ranked one of the top five highest-paid athlete endorsers in North America by 1995. Finally, in 2017, Gretzky collaborated with Andrew Peller Ltd. to incorporate Wayne Gretzky Estates, a winery cum distillery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. He also owns No. 99 Gretzky's Wine & Whiskey in Edmonton International Airport, which opened in 2016, and Studio 99 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada, which opened in 2018.
