Mark Andrew Spitz, born on the 10th of February 1950, is a former American athlete and Olympiad who became famous in the swimming world for his breaking of world records. He gained popularity in the ‘70s and ‘80s for his multiple awards from various prestigious competitions.
So how much is Spitz’ net worth? As of early 2017, based on authoritative sources it is reported to be over $20 million, acquired from his years as an athlete and his other commitments on television and product endorsements.
Mark Spitz Net Worth $20 million
Born in Modesto, California, Spitz is the eldest child of three children too Lenore Sylvia and Arnold Spitz. His family is Jewish with his father having Hungarian descent while his mother’s were from Russia. The family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where Spitz grew up loving the beach and enjoying swimming. When he was six, his family returned to Sacramento, California but still made sure that he’d be able to swim as he was enrolled at the local swim club. At a young age, he was already showing potential, breaking world records even at the age of 10.
Spitz attended Santa Clara High School, where he also trained in swimming. During his high school years, he consistently broke age records, garnering national high school records in every stroke and at several distances.
Right after high school, Spitz started joining more competitions and also won consistently. Some of his most notable wins included four gold medals at the 1965 Maccabiah Games, five gold medals at the Pan American Games, two gold medals at the Mexico 1968 Olympics, five gold medals in the 1969 Maccabiah Games and seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich in 1972. His multiple achievements in the world of sports also helped raise his career to stardom, and eventually helped to tremendously increase his net worth.
In 1969, Spitz also decided to continue his college education, attending Indiana University with the hopes of becoming a dentist. Unfortunately, his passion was still in swimming, so he was never able to pursue his dreams of being a dentist. During his time in college, he won eight individual NCAA titles and also won the James E. Sullivan Award in 1971.
After the 1972 Summer Olympics, Spitz decided to retire at the age of 22.
Spitz then entered the world of Hollywood, and made various appearances in shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”, “Emergency!” and “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour”. He also worked as a sport presenter and even a broadcaster. His various jobs in television also helped his net worth.
When he was 41, he tried to stage a comeback at the 1992 Summer Olympics, but failed to qualify. Since then, he has become a product endorser for various brands, a lecturer and even a stock broker. His various careers after being an athlete also helped maintain his net worth.
In terms of his personal life, Spitz married Suzy Weiner in 1973 and together they have two sons, Matthew and Justin.
