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Michael Jordan, Rory McIlroy, and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the wealthiest sports stars who fly privately.Don Juan Moore/Getty Images; Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images
- Rory McIlroy's private jet was one of hundreds departing Augusta after the Masters.
- He's one of many wealthy athletes with their own private jets.
- Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods are among the others.
After becoming the sixth golfer to complete a career grand slam with his win at the Masters on Sunday, Rory McIlroy's private jet departed Augusta the following day.
His Gulfstream G650 was one of hundreds of jets that took off from the usually sleepy Augusta Regional Airport during its annual mass exodus. After stopping in Florida, N1989R landed at England's Farnborough Airport, near London, on Wednesday morning.
But the Northern Irish golfer, whose career winnings are over $160 million, isn't the only sports star with their own plane.
Here's a look at some of the world's richest athletes and their private jets.
Michael Jordan
Last October, Michael Jordan appeared to take delivery of a new private jet worth around $65 million — a drop in the ocean for the world's wealthiest sports star. Forbes estimates his net worth at $3.5 billion.
The Gulfstream G650ER has a flamboyant black-and-blue custom paint job. Its tail includes the Jumpman logo from his eponymous sneaker and sportswear brand.
The jet's tailnumber, N236MJ, also includes the legendary Chicago Bull's initials.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo flies on a Bombardier Global Express XRS, which also has a custom paint job. The soccer player's partner, Georgina Rodríguez, has shared several photos of the jet. It's painted black and gray with Ronaldo's "CR7" nickname and a silhouette image of him celebrating.
The 15-year-old plane was refurbished last year and is operated by Global Jet Luxembourg, a charter firm. It says the plane, LX-GOL, can seat 14 passengers and sleep up to five. Photos show it has a cream interior with light-grey seats and wood paneling.
In 2020, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner became the first active team-sport athlete to earn $1 billion across his career, Forbes reported.
Alex Rodriguez
Like Jordan, A-Rod's plane also has a tailnumber with his initials — N313AR. The Gulfstream IV-SP has been photographed at airports around the world by several planespotters since the baseball star bought it in 2017. On its tail, the gray-and-black jet features an illustration of a baseball player swinging a bat.
The G-IV is registered to a holding company called DORA 13, which is Rodriguez's nickname backward and the number he wore while playing for the Yankees.
The plane was built in 1997. In a typical configuration, it can carry up to 19 passengers and has a maximum range of around 4,850 miles.
Max Verstappen
Forbes reported that Max Verstappen is Formula 1's best-paid driver, earning $75 million last year. The Red Bull driver has won the F1 title four seasons in a row from 2021 to 2024. Lewis Hamilton, who won the four before that, sold his private jet in 2019.
Verstappen took ownership of a Dassault Falcon 8X earlier this year, worth around $50 million. The tri-engine jet is painted black with neon orange accents and has been spotted at airports near the locations of this season's Grand Prix races.
With a range of 6,450 nautical miles, it can fly nonstop between New York and Beijing — ideal for F1's global season, which visits 21 countries this year.
Tiger Woods
The only golfer to amass more career winnings than McIlroy, Tiger Woods has a Gulfstream G550. Like Jordan and Rodriguez, he also has a tail number with his initials — N517TW.
Forbes estimates that Woods is worth $1.3 billion, while a new G550 costs around $55 million. According to data from JetSpy, the plane made 71 flights last year for a total of 119 hours. It most commonly stopped in Stuart, Florida — the airport nearest Woods' home on the exclusive Jupiter Island, where neighbors formerly included Bill Gates.
Read the original article on Business Insider
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