LEWIS HAMILTON’S retirement may be sweetened by his incredible endorsements OUTSIDE of racing.
The F1 ace, 37, is considering hanging up his helmet when his Mercedes-Benz £40m-per-year contract ends in 2023.
Worth around £300m, he has built up his fortune with deals with fashion houses, watch makers and even banks.
Recently, Hamilton became part owner of NFL franchise Denver Broncos in a mega £3.84billion deal.
And that was after he tried to buy Chelsea with Serena Williams as part of Sir Martin Broughton’s consortium.
Hamilton is a man set up for a life after sport. Here’s some of his biggest deals.
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Tommy Hilfiger
Fashion conscious Hamilton is famous for his outfits around the paddock.
In 2018, Tommy Hilfiger began sponsoring Mercedes-Benz – with their famous logo plastered on his driving suit.
He then became a face for their menswear line and launched his own collaboration with the American fashion house.
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It is believed Tommy Hilfiger pay Mercedes-Benz around £4million-a-year to endorse them, but it is not known if Hamilton profits himself.
That said, they could lure him with a personal deal IF he quits.
Monster Energy
Again gained through his partnership with Mercedes-Benz, Hamilton and Monster Energy drinks work together independently of the F1 team.
In 2017, they partnered exclusively to release a Hamilton-inspired drink.
He said at the time: “Monster Energy is such a cool brand
“They are involved in so many great sports that I watch as a fan and participate in during my own spare time.
“It’s also a really exciting opportunity for me to meet and collaborate with other Monster athletes I admire. There are exciting times ahead.”
They have continued to partner on drinks in recent times, which suggests even in retirement Hamilton would be big business for Monster.
Puma
For around £1.5million-per-year, Hamilton wears Puma on the race track and in the car.
He has also featured in ad campaigns wearing their latest sportswear.
Their partnership began in 2019, and shows no signs of ceasing anytime soon.
Like Nike have with Michael Jordan, a lifetime deal with Hamilton could be on the cards.
Union Bank of Switzerland
The Swiss bank have been a longtime sponsor of Hamilton, who is paid rather handsomely.
He is reportedly said to earn upwards of £6million for the privilege of being the face of UBS – the largest private bank in the world.
UBS have been heavily involved in F1 for years, considering the sport an important part of their sports sponsorship portfolio.
And Hamilton is, of course, on top of the tree in the sport.
L’Oreal
Definitely because he’s worth it.
In 2016, the French cosmetics company welcomed Hamilton as a brand ambassador.
He appeared in social media ads, while becoming a global spokesperson for their Men Expert Range.
Lewis reportedly received £1million for his duties.
Bose
When he was to focus before a big race, Hamilton is often seen walking around the paddock with earphones in his ears.
Up until recently, they were made by Bose – which paid around £2.5million to be Hamilton’s headphones of choice.
The audio equipment giants also provided Mercedes-Benz with Bose Devices that were even modelled by Team Principal Toto Wolff during races.
However, their deal ended this year. That’s not stopped Hamilton from wearing them, though.
IWC
Classy watches from IWC can cost as much as £30,000, so it’s no wonder Hamilton partnered with them in 2019.
The Swiss watch makers even named a watch series with his name on them.
He actively promotes the brand – making appearances at launch events.
For that, he receives around £2million-per-annum.
Quallcomm
Hamilton is said to get a cut of the £7million the software giant pays Mercedes-Benz for its services.
Quallcomm have provided racing data and analysis for the driver and team since 2016.
It remains to be seen if they would continue to sponsor him, after he left.
However, after he formed his own racing team X44, who made their Extreme E debut in 2021, he could continue to partner with them in future ventures.
Whatever Hamilton chooses, he was always be a marketing dream for any brand even after retirement.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
