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Tom Brady became a millionaire from his on-field triumphs and endorsement deals, but he could become a billionaire through his business acumen.
Tom Brady is well known for his exploits as the quarterback of the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers but that is just the beginning of his story.
In his more than 22 years on the gridiron, Brady has accumulated seven Super Bowl titles, three NFL MVP awards, and $292.9 million in salary and bonuses. However, his earning power isn’t limited to the stadium, as he has picked more than $100 million in endorsement deals with companies like Under Armour, Hertz and Foot Locker.
But while the 44-year-old sports star became a millionaire from his on-field triumphs and endorsement deals, he could become a billionaire through his business acumen.
Brady has always been business-minded and even spent two summers as an intern at Merrill Lynch before he was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Despite being more than 20 years removed from his business world experience, Brady is making moves to build a corporate empire from consumer goods to tech products.
Keep reading for a look at the companies that Tom Brady will use to earn millions more once he retires for the second and likely final time.
TB12
The future hall of fame quarterback famously has his own fitness and nutrition brand, TB12, which he launched in 2016 with his trainer Alex Guerrero. Currently, the operation is led by CEO John Burns.
The company started out as a health snack and merchandise operation but has grown into a national fitness movement with its own dietary supplements, fitness equipment and body coaching facilities. In March 2017, Brady built upon his nutrition line and partnered with meal-kit startup Purple Carrot to create his own line of TB12 Performance Meals.
Over the past year, Brady signaled his greater ambitions and filed for at least 26 trademarks to use his name on products ranging from furniture to deodorant.
Brady also operates a non-profit called the TB12 Foundation, which runs a series of clinics for at-risk athletes and those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access high-quality post-injury rehabilitation and performance enhancement training.
199 Productions
Brady launched a production company, 199 Productions, in 2020. The company’s name is an homage to his draft position in the 2000 NFL draft.
At the time 199 Productions was announced, Brady said the company’s first project would be “Unseen Football,” a fast-paced sports documentary created with Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo. So far it has already helped produce “Man In the Arena,” a series chronicling Brady's first-hand accounts of his nine Super Bowl games, and an episode of ESPN’s 30 for 30 called “The Tuck Rule.”
Autograph
Brady co-founded sports-centric NFT platform Autograph in 2021 alongside serial entrepreneur Richard Rosenblatt. The venture quickly attracted $170 million in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins. Since its launch, Autograph has reached a deal with DraftKings to create the the DraftKings Marketplace, which owns the exclusive distribution rights for Autograph's sports products.
Brady Brand
Brady Brand is the sports star’s synonymous apparel brand. The company was founded in January 2022 by Brady, entrepreneur Jens Grede and designer Dao-Yi Chow and produces both lifestyle and activewear basics embellished with Brady’s name. In an interview with Forbes, Brady said he wanted his clothing line to fit into all aspects of modern life from the gym to work at home zoom calls.
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