David Beckham takes £39m dividend after World Cup deals drive record profits

Beckham’s commercial empire posts record year

David Beckham has received about $51m (£39m) from his business empire after a record financial year driven in part by a series of commercial deals around the Fifa World Cup.

Beckham appeared in around a dozen advertising campaigns during the tournament in the United States, working with Lenovo, McDonald’s, Bank of America, Verizon and Lay’s, PepsiCo’s crisps brand.

The results for DRJB Holdings, the commercial company behind Beckham’s brands business, show revenue rose by a fifth to $110.5m last year, up from $92.3m in 2024. Pre-tax profit climbed 46% to a record $65.7m.

Major partnerships fuel growth

DRJB Holdings is made up of three divisions. Its largest, DB Ventures, manages many of Beckham’s brand partnerships, including his work with Hugo Boss. The group also includes Seven Global, which holds licensing agreements with companies such as Adidas, and Studio 99, the production company behind the Netflix documentary Beckham and Victoria Beckham’s documentary.

Ahead of the World Cup, Beckham signed a multi-year agreement with Bank of America, becoming an ambassador for its global sports programme. He also launched menswear collections with Hugo Boss, an eponymous eyewear range with Safilo and a limited-edition Predator football boot with Adidas.

His other recent projects include Beckham & Friends Live, a Paramount+ show linked to the Uefa Champions League, and a Stella Artois campaign with Theo James connected to the second season of Netflix’s The Gentlemen.

Shareholders receive further payouts

DRJB Holdings paid $51.1m to shareholders last year, compared with $53m the previous year. Beckham sold a 55% stake in his businesses to Authentic Brands Group for £200m in 2022, leaving him with a 45% interest through his Footwork Productions vehicle.

Although the filing for the latest accounts is due to be published at Companies House next week, the figures indicate that a further $61.6m was paid in special dividends this year. Beckham’s total payout was therefore about $51m.

Corey Salter, Authentic Brands’ chief executive of entertainment, described Beckham as “one of the most powerful global brands in sport, lifestyle, entertainment and much more”. She said the results reflected “a strong and highly effective team” and the financial discipline to keep growing profitably through 2026 and beyond.

Beckham, who retired from professional football in 2013, is also an investor in businesses including supplement company IM8, which he co-founded in 2024, and honey-based fruit snack firm BeeUp.