Ion Tiriac was successful in sports, but is doing even better in business.
Ion Tiriac rose from a sports star to one of the richest people in the sports world. EPA/AOP
Does the name say Ion Tiriac anything?
Hardly without a relatively in-depth knowledge of tennis or memories of B-series hockey matches at the Innsbruck Olympics.
Of course, Tiriac could also become known through his business. He is the richest ex-athlete in the world, ahead of even the over-the-top basketball icon Michael Jordan.
The net worth of the Romanian pohata, who turns 84 in May, is two billion dollars in the latest financial publication Forbes’ listing. For example, Tiriac is many times more wealthy than the fixed stars of sports Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, who represents the Thai football club Chonburi Faiq Bolkiah24, the wealth is reportedly in the order of 20 billion, but it may not be reasonable to compare someone who was born into sunk wealth and a poor family.
The ticket taker
Ion Tiriac has favored the cheeky mustache style for decades. Picture from 1971 Wimbledon. PDO
Tiriac, who grew up in Brasov, Romania’s Transylvania region, impressed as a child with his table tennis skills, but first appeared on international courts as a hockey defenseman at the 1964 Olympics.
Just four years later, he turned tennis professional. When the doubles pair was legendary Ilie Nastase, happened on the field. Tiriac was the French Open number one with Nastane in 1970 and celebrated a total of 22 tournament victories.
The Romanian duo also attracted attention with their hedonistic lifestyle. In 1993, the New York Times called Tiriac “a wild reveler who rode motorcycles, chased models, gobbled caviar and ate glasses of champagne.”
Behind the last mentioned, completely incredible sounding legend is Rod Laverwho said in an interview with Sports Illustradet that his former colleague guzzled a glass at the players’ dinner without shedding blood.
There are even wilder stories about the man called Count Dracula and the bulldozer of Brasov. Known for his inexhaustible appetite during his playing days, it is said that he ate six steaks, four portions of pasta and 12 eggs for breakfast.
True or not, Tiriacilla has had enough hunger for success in all her challenges.
Starting a bank is the way to riches
Megalomania has to be counted as a virtue in Tiriac’s career path, because after playing, after moving to coach top players, he started in a pioneering way to squeeze market potential out of his protected areas in the role of Manager. Boris Becker while acting as a background devil, he already signed million-dollar deals with the German’s sponsors.
As Romania opens up Nicolae Ceausescu after the communist rule, Tiriac smelled a new opportunity for capitalism in the early 90s and hit a money vein with its territorial conquest. He founded Banca Tiriacia, which became the country’s first privately owned bank after the world wars. As a result of the merger, Banca Tiriaca is now known as Unicredit, which is still one of the largest banks in the country.
Tiriac has always been a man with many irons in the fire. Along with taking over the banking industry, he expanded his businesses to retail, property ownership, car leasing and aviation.
Money has come from the doors and windows of the business tied up under the company called Tiriac Group.
The garage is full
Described as cunning and rude, Tiriac has had three children, but has not started a family life. The only married handball player by Erika Braedt with in the 60s remained two years long.
In past years, Tiriac has garnered questionable attention with his sexist comments. Two years ago, he urged Serena Williams to end his career.
– At his current age and weight, he does not move as easily as he did 15 years ago. Serena was a sensational player. If he was decent, he would retire.
In addition to money and the sweet life, Tiriac’s love has become motor vehicles, of which he has assembled a respectable collection of 400 models over the years.
The group includes, among other things Al Capone, Sammy Davis Jr and Elton John’s previously owned rarities.
Tiriac has also received money to support sports in his home country, Romania. In 2016, he built a multipurpose ice rink in Bucharest with his partners, the cost of which was 3.6 million euros.
The contract was completed in three months. Tiriac wanted to show the local authorities an example of how to make things happen.
Sources: Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, New York Times, Alux.com, Romania-insider.com
Ion Tiriac and former coach Boris Becker watching the French Open in 2012. Becker’s management has been significantly weaker than the Romanian pohat’s. The German legend was convicted of embezzlement in 2017. EPA/AOP