6 Athletes Who Lost Everything After One Mistake

Sir Bradley Wiggins – £13 Million Fortune Gone

Sir Bradley Wiggins was Britain’s most decorated cyclist—five Olympic gold medals, a Tour de France victory, a knighthood. His fortune was estimated at £13 million. Then he retired, and within three years he was a drug addict. “Within three years of retiring I was a drug addict,” he admitted. The collapse of his fortune stemmed from money being funnelled into subsidiaries that generated nothing, and he was “ripped off left, right and centre” by the people managing his affairs. He was declared bankrupt in 2024, with debts approaching £2 million. “I regret I never paid attention to my financial affairs when I was racing,” he said. “It’s one of the things that happens to athletes—you make a lot of money and if you haven’t got your eyes on it, people take advantage”.