In the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight, their paydays may have been vastly different
Nakisa Bidarian, cofounder of fight promoter Most Valuable Promotions, told CNBC that Tyson and Paul would each be making eight figures.
Jake Paul beat Mike Tyson by unanimous decision in their highly anticipated bout on Friday night, and each fighter likely walked away with tens of millions of dollars.
But there may have been a huge pay gap between the two.
At an Aug. 18 news conference to promote the fight, Paul said, “I’m here to make $40 million and knock out a legend.” (He didn’t end up knocking out Tyson.)
Representatives for Paul didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment to confirm his payout.
He was already making millions as a YouTuber when he pivoted to boxing, which now accounts for most of his earnings.
According to Forbes, Paul, 27, was one of the highest-paid athletes in 2022, when he made an estimated $45 million.
Meanwhile, neither Tyson nor fight promoters have disclosed what his payday would be, though some industry experts have put it around $20 million.
Representatives for Tyson didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
In October, Tyson responded to Paul’s offer to pay him $5 million if the 58-year-old could last past the fourth round. If he didn’t make it that far, then Tyson would’ve been required to get a tattoo that said, “I love Jake Paul.”
“He should offer more,” Tyson told USA Today. “Tell him probably about 20 (million dollars).”
Nakisa Bidarian, cofounder of fight promoter Most Valuable Promotions, told CNBC that Tyson and Paul would each be making eight figures.
The event itself, which was streamed on Netflix, was also lucrative. Held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the fight brought in $17.8 million in ticket revenue, Most Valuable Promotions, which is co-owned by Paul, also told CNBC. That makes it the richest boxing gate in history outside of Nevada.
Tickets on resale sites listed prices ranging from $58 to $1,500, though a ringside VIP seat went for $2 million each. The promoter said all 375 of those seats sold out.
