Wilt Chamberlain Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth

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What is the Net Worth of Wilt Chamberlain?

Wilt Chamberlain was an American basketball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. Chamberlain is widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA players of all time, and he played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers. A formidable center, Chamberlain stood at 7’1. To this day, he still holds several NBA records for scoring and rebounding. To date, Wilt is the only player to score more than 100 points in a single game. He is also the only player in history to average more than 30 points per season and 20 rebounds per game.

Despite several disappointing results in the NBA Finals, Wilt eventually ended his career with two championships, four MVP awards, Rookie of the Year awards, 13 All-Star selections, and ten All-NBA selections. He was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978. After leaving basketball, Wilt briefly played volleyball and became a successful businessman. In addition, Chamberlain booked several film roles and wrote several books.

early years

Wilton Norman Chamberlain was born on 21 August 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Raised by working-class parents, Wilt was a frail child who nearly died of pneumonia. Initially, he had no interest in basketball and was more active in track and field. Eventually, Chamberlain succumbed to the inevitable and began playing basketball for his high school. By this point, he was already 6’11” and had a clear natural advantage over his teammates. He was given his favorite nickname during this time: “The Big Dipper.” The origin of this nickname comes from the fact that Chamberlain often had to bow his head when passing through the door.

During his high school years, Wilt earned several impressive honors and regularly scored over 70 points per game. He then entered the University of Kansas and played under coach Fogg Allen. He played well during his college years but failed to win the NCAA Basketball Tournament. His relationship with the new coach also deteriorated after Fogg retired. Eventually, these frustrations led Wilt to drop out of college and play professionally.

livelihood

In 1958, Wilt Chamberlain joined the Harlem Globetrotters for $50,000. He then played at the Lenin Central Stadium in Moscow and was received by Secretary General Nikita Khrushchev. After one season, he joined the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959. The team later became the San Francisco Warriors. He signed for $30,000. In 1965, he began playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom he won his first NBA Championship. Wilt then joined the Lakers in 1968 and won another championship with this team in 1972. By this time, he was earning hundreds of thousands of dollars per season. Chamberlain spent one last season with the San Diego Conquistadors before retiring in 1974.

Income

Soon after joining the NBA, Wilt became the highest-paid player in the entire league. He was the first player to earn at least $100,00 per year and later earned over $1.5 million during his time with the Lakers. At the time, it was completely unheard of. These earnings allowed him to pursue a lavish lifestyle, and he spent $750,000 in the late ’90s on a Le Mans-style car called the Searcher One. His other vehicles included a Ferrari and a Bentley. Despite this, Wilt later claimed that he was underpaid during his career, especially as multimillion-dollar salaries became increasingly common in the NBA.

business ventures

After leaving the sport behind, Chamberlain explored several business ventures. He became successful in the stock market and also invested in real estate. He also bought a nightclub which became very popular in Harlem.

brand advertising

Chamberlain supplemented his NBA salary with several brand endorsements and continued to work with various companies after his retirement. After leaving the NBA, he appeared in commercials for TWA, American Express, Volkswagen, Drexel Burnham, Le Tigre Clothing and Foot Locker.

entertainment career

By the mid-70s, Wilt had become very interested in Hollywood, and formed his own film production company called Go For It. He is perhaps best known for playing the villain in the film “Conan the Destroyer”.

passing

Wilt Chamberlain battled heart problems throughout his life. The real issues started in the early 90s, when he was hospitalized due to an irregular heartbeat. Then he started taking medicine for his heart and by the end of the 90s his condition had completely deteriorated. He lost a total of 50 pounds during this period, and the condition got worse after the dental surgery. In 1999, he died in Bel-Air at the age of 63, apparently due to congestive heart failure. He was immediately awarded the figures of the sports world.

real estate

In 2020, it was reported that Chamberlain’s former mansion was listed for $14.9 million. The Los Angeles residence was custom built for wilt consisting of concrete, steel, and stone. It has 9,395 square feet of living space and six bedrooms. Additional amenities include a pool, sauna, ample parking space for ten vehicles, and exceptional views of Stone Canyon Reservoir and the city. The house also sits on 2.5 acres of land.