Inside Tiger Woods' Incredibly Lavish Life

Tiger Woods had an incredible rise to fame, experienced a tabloid-frenzied fall from grace, and rose back to the top of his sport. The pro golfer was only 24 when he completed a "grand slam," winning the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship. In 2001, he held all four major trophies at once, the only golfer to ever accomplish that feat.

Then, in November 2009, it all came crashing down. A high-profile car crash led to cheating allegations, and ultimately, numerous women came forward claiming to have slept with the married athlete. At a press conference several months after the accident (via CNN), Woods confessed, "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable. And I am the only person to blame. I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in."

In the decade and change since, Woods has climbed back to the top of the golf world. In 2022, Forbes officially recognized Woods' billionaire status, making him one of only three athletes to reach that high-water mark. "He hit the right time in the right sport, being an athlete with a diverse background who was approachable," sports business consultant Joe Favorito told Forbes. A combination of business savvy, endorsement deals, and prize money has enabled Tiger Woods to live quite the lavish life.

In the wake of Tiger Woods' divorce from his ex-wife Elin Nordegren, she was awarded a $100 million divorce settlement. That meant Woods was looking to cut costs, and one avenue he explored was the potential sale of his yacht. The Wall Street Journal reported that he'd purchased the yacht in 2004 for $20 million. He named the yacht Privacy, but the boat's manufacturers used his name in their marketing, netting him a cool $1 million in damages thanks to a lawsuit. The New York Post claimed he was hoping to get $25 million for Privacy, but they spoke with a mega-yacht dealer named John Staluppi, who said that price tag was too ambitious. "Unless he sells to someone who wants to brag that he's got Tiger's yacht, he'll get about $20 million," Staluppi predicted.

Ultimately, Woods wound up keeping the boat. In 2018, Page Six reported that Woods docked Privacy in the Hamptons, enjoying his time on the water in advance of that year's U.S. Open. It seems like Privacy is a yacht that would be fit for the royal family; sources told the outlet that staffing the boat costs Woods $2 million a year, which goes toward paying nine staff members.

In addition to actually playing golf, Tiger Woods has a side gig designing golf courses. The crown jewel of his empire is Jack's Bay, an exclusive resort on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. When a new course called The Playground was announced in 2020, Woods wrote on his website, "The natural terrain and coastline are incredibly beautiful and call for an equally spectacular golf experience. ... It's designed for golfers to have fun, foster friendships, and create memories within an unforgettable setting."

The page set up for The Playground on Woods' website shows that the course hugs the coastline, giving golfers gorgeous views of the sea while they play. "The Playground offers a variety of shots and playing scenarios, challenging seasoned players while also being fun and welcoming for new golfers," the website reads. "Pure enjoyment and playability are at the forefront of the design."

The golf course is part of a wider luxurious community still undergoing development. In 2023, Golf Magazine reported that there were only 24 spots available at Jack's Bay, 11 of them right on the beach. 

Tiger Woods owns a private jet that's so luxurious it can fly 7,500 miles without needing to stop for fuel. Architectural Digest put the plane's price tag somewhere around $54 million; The Sun, on the other hand, estimates that the 18-seat jet cost him £48 million, or about $61 million at current exchange rates. 

Regardless of the private jet's original purchase price, it's certainly a costly amenity to maintain. In an appearance on Golf Magazine's podcast "Subpar," pro golfer Camilo Villegas recalled an expensive accident aboard Woods' jet. Villegas was tired, but when a waitress offered them drinks, Woods encouraged his friend to partake. "Tiger looks at me and gives me this look like, 'Dude, you just won the skins game, come on. Don't be a wuss,'" Villegas remembered. "'Have a little freaking wine or whatever with me.'" Villegas did indeed order a glass of red wine.

Unfortunately, he didn't hold on to the glass when the jet took off. "I look to my right and there is red wine flying everywhere. Tiger is to my left, he looks and goes, 'Nice,'" Villegas said. He tried to clean the spill himself but ultimately gave up and told Woods to send him a bill. He expected his friend to decline, but Woods did indeed bill him $25,000 in cleaning fees. When Villegas tried to transfer the funds, the bank told him, "Sorry, Camilo, that bank account is full."

In addition to his mansion on Jupiter Island in Florida, Tiger Woods has owned many other pricey properties around the country. In the 1990s, the rising superstar athlete purchased a different home in Florida, one that was part of an exclusive, luxury community called Isleworth. He told the Orlando Sentinel that he loved the privacy in the community, noting, "Once we get inside the gates of Isleworth, you can take a deep sigh of relief ... we can all enjoy a little hangout. There's a no-autograph policy, no pictures, no nothing. We all just mingle."

According to Architectural Digest, Woods has bought and sold numerous other homes over the years. There was a Jackson Hole, Wyoming, purchase in 2005, and in 2007, he bought a Florida home for his mother. Woods had to lay down $2.4 million for that land, plus another $2.6 million in construction costs. In 2012, he attempted to offload a condo in Corona Del Mar, California. TMZ reported that he purchased the home for $3 million, but it was listed at $2.495 million. Something tells us he'd be able to eat the financial loss.

Not content to put all his chips on golf, Tiger Woods has expanded his business empire into the restaurant space. He founded a restaurant called The Woods Jupiter, located near where he lives in Florida. According to the restaurant's website, Woods was inspired by bar food he ate on his many travels. "[H]e decided to bring his vision of an elevated sports bar to life at home in Jupiter," the website says. "Envisioned as a place where friends and family could come together to relax and refuel, The Woods has become a destination to celebrate like a champion."

The Woods Jupiter wasn't cheap. According to Golf Magazine, Woods shelled out $1,000 per square foot. The restaurant is over 8,000 square feet, meaning construction cost around $8 million. That hefty price tag came with a number of accommodations for the superstar, including his own way in and out. "He'll have his own private elevator. His problem is that he gets mobbed wherever he goes," developer Nicholas A. Mastroianni II told Golf.

Mastroianni admitted that "The Woods Jupiter" is an unusual name, but he told the magazine that there was a reason they couldn't use the golfer's full name in the name of the restaurant. "[Nike] has the rights to the name Tiger Woods," he said. Fittingly, according to Woods' website, waiters at The Woods Jupiter are decked out in Nike apparel.

Perhaps because he has so much of it, Tiger Woods doesn't just spend his money on himself. Tiger Woods, like many celebrities, makes sure to give back. He has a foundation called TGR Foundation, which he started back in 1996. The organization works with students in an attempt to get them excited about education. "Through college-access and career preparation resources along with STEM-based experiential learning coursework, TGR Foundation provides the support to help youth connect their passions to their purpose," their website reads.

Through his foundation, Woods launched the Tiger Woods Learning Center, later renamed the TGR Learning Lab, which is an education center where students can participate in various free educational opportunities after school. At the building's launch event (via YouTube), Woods said he was inspired to start the program after 9/11. "I did a lot of reflecting about my life, things that I was doing, things I wasn't doing. And for some reason I just felt we weren't doing enough," he said. It took a few years to get off the ground, but the building opened in 2006. "All of a sudden, from a dream, here comes a 35,000 square foot facility where kids now have opportunities to create a future for themselves and, more importantly, feel safe. Feel safe to learn, feel safe to grow," Woods said. "And more importantly, it's theirs."