Rich Paul's Net Worth In 2023 Shows He Really Is, Well, Very Rich
Rich Paul works with some of the biggest athletes in the game, most famously with actual self-made billionaire LeBron James, who credits Paul with much of his own success after they became friends.
"The conversations that we were having were so much bigger than just basketball. It was just life: Everything from fashion to the hustler's mentality to family to growing up the way we grow up to music," James recalled to Sports Illustrated in 2019. "It wasn't just, 'Hey, man, it was great to see what you did today in the game.' That s--t gets boring and old. The guy was teaching me s--t that I thought I knew—but he had more years on me, so he was actually teaching me."
Get to know the man who helped get King James his crown! Find out Rich Paul's net worth and how he made it.
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How did Rich Paul become famous?
Rich Paul's success story was, as he tells it, an unlikely one given his background, and it took a combination of grit, wit and luck to rise above his circumstances.
Paul grew up in a Cleveland suburb in a one-bedroom apartment above his father's candy shop and attended a private Catholic high school. While that sounds idyllic, it wasn't ideal.
"My mom had a drug addiction growing up," he told GQ in December 2022. "I didn't have that lifestyle that we see on TV, where you have the picture-perfect family, and all the holidays are spent together, and the Christmas tree is full. I didn't have that. My dad passed away when I was 19 years old. I grew up in an environment where there was a war going on the next street, or on my street, every day."
When Paul graduated high school, he started selling vintage jerseys from the trunk of his car. He met Akron native LeBron James in 2002, with whom he grew close, and began working under James' then-agent Leon Rose at CAA about a year later. In 2012, Paul went out on his own and founded his own agency, Klutch Sports. In addition to James, he counts household names like Lonzo Ball, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Chris Livingston, Scotty Pippen Jr., J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson and more among his clients through the years.
While Paul had a storied career managing big-name sports stars, let's be honest: He became a household name for the rest of the non-sports world when he started dating Adele.
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What is Rich Paul's net worth in 2023?
Rich Paul's net worth in 2023 is estimated at a whopping $120 million. This figure comes almost exclusively from Paul's NBA deals and may not include all of his income sources.
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How does Rich Paul make money?
Paul has reportedly made a total of more than $1.4 billion worth of deals for his clients at Klutch Sports. What's more, United Talent Agency (UTA) acquired much of Klutch Sports in 2020, securing Paul a spot on UTA's board of directors.
He said in a statement at the time, "These are opportunities not often presented to Black men and women, so it comes with added responsibility to use my position not just to help drive a global business forward, but to create more chances for people who look like me and face the same challenges I did."
Paul likely also earns passive income from investments. He also has his own endorsements outside of those for his clients, including a New Balance Forever Yours Collection released on July 14, 2023.
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How much does Rich Paul make per contract?
Rich Paul's specific pay for contract can vary by client and how much each contract is worth. He reportedly takes 4% of each contract, and while that doesn't necessarily sound like much, it's the maximum standard for sports agents and can be huge sums: In late June 2023, then-free agent Fred Vanvleet signed a three-year deal with the Houston Rockets for $130 million, making Paul's cut a cool $5.2 million.
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How much does Rich Paul make a year?
Rich Paul's annual salary can vary depending on how much his players sign for and how many contracts are signed in the year. According to Forbes, Paul made a whopping $55 million in sports commissions in 2022 alone.
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How much does Rich Paul make per player?
Rich Paul takes a 4% commission fee for contracts that he negotiates for players. To break it down the most simply, when Draymond Green recently made a $100 million deal, Paul got a $4 million fee for it.
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How much does Rich Paul make from LeBron James?
Rich Paul has likely made the bulk of his money from LeBron James alone. Since launching Klutch, Paul has nabbed 4% of the following contracts for James:
$42.2 million for 2014
$46.9 million for 2015-2016
$99.85 million for 2016-2017
$153.3 million for 2018-2021
$85.65 million for 2021-2022
That adds up to $17.12 million from James alone over the period—not including any bonuses, plus potentially other commissions and fees Paul may command for James' myriad branding deals and investments off the court.