As a finance professor, I thought I'd do some quick analytics on the serious earning power of
Elin Nordegren, the wife of Tiger Woods,
if the reports are true that she might walk away with a $750 million dollar settlement. Initially, I thought that such an amount would be impossible for Elin to obtain. But after talking to a major film producer who works with "Hollywood types" on a regular basis, I walked away with a different conclusion. According to the opinion of my friend, who shall remain anonymous, it turns out that Elin's lawyers likely have a tremendous amount of leverage over Tiger Woods. Should the divorce go to trial, they would "ask him about every girl he ever kissed, every woman he ever slept with, every time anyone put whipped cream on his butt and spanked him, and every sexually-perverted thing he's ever done. By the time that trial is over, Tiger's image would be ruined forever."
Well, alrighty then.
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Celebrities With Mixed Roots
America has long been a land divided by race. That the son of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother can end up leading all Americans brings with it a symbolic racial unity that inspires many. However, President Barack Obama isn't the only public figure whose roots come from mixed soil. Many celebs are multiracial, though not all advertise it.
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Celebrities With Mixed Roots
America has long been a land divided by race. That the son of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother can end up leading all Americans brings with it a symbolic racial unity that inspires many. However, President Barack Obama isn't the only public figure whose roots come from mixed soil. Many celebs are multiracial, though not all advertise it.
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Barack Obama
Claim to Fame:The first president of the United States with African roots.
Heritage: Black Kenyan father, Caucasian mother
Identifies: African-American
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Alicia Keys
Claim to Fame: Multi-platinum-selling international music artist
Heritage: Italian and Irish mother, African-American father
Identifies: African-American
Members' Take: Her move from songbird to Bond girl
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Derek Jeter
Claim to Fame: New York Yankees All-Star shortstop
Heritage: Caucasian mother of Irish/German descent, African-American father
Identifies: African American
Latest off the Boards: Ladies Love This Yankee
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Selma Hayek
Claim to Fame: The first Mexican national to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress
Heritage: Lebanese father and Spanish mother
Identifies: Latina
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Mariah Carey
Claim to Fame: Holds the record for most number-one singles for a solo artist in the U.S.
Heritage: Irish mother, Afro-Venezuelan father
Identifies: Has jokingly described herself as a bit of a "mutt."
Members React: Carey & Cannon stir up controversy
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Halle Berry
Claim to Fame: The first African-American actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Heritage: Caucasian mother, African-American father
Identifies: African-American
Members React : It's Berry vs. the Paps
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Ann Curry
Claim to Fame: NBC 'Today Show' news anchor
Heritage: Scottish father, Japanese mother
Identifies: Asian-American
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Bob Marley
Claim to Fame: Reggae music icon
Heritage: White Jamaican Father, Black Jamaican
Identifies: Jamaican
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
Boris Kodjoe
Claim to Fame: Former actor on the series 'Soul Food' and husband to actress Nicole Ari Parker.
Heritage: His mother is German and his father is from Ghana, West Africa.
Identifies: African-American
Community Asks: More than just a pretty face?
Celebrities With Mixed Roots
With that said, let's start breaking down Elin Nordegren's riches. I would say that it's like she won the lottery, but lotto winners don't have it this good. Let's start from the beginning, shall we? If Elin Nordegren gets a $750 million settlement out of this divorce, she will have earned:
- Roughly $411,000 per day for the five years of her marriage. That's more than the average annual salary of an Invasive Cardiologist, who goes to college for four years, medical school for another four years, and then another six years of residency training. Perhaps they should become nannies instead.
- Nearly $2.9 million per week, meaning she could buy 20 new houses every week at the average price of a home in the Midwest.
- Almost $11.6 million per month, which is 15 times the average annual salary of players in the NFL.
- About $139 million per year, more than Tiger has ever earned in any year, including endorsements. It's also more than the 2009 payroll for the entire Los Angeles Lakers.
If she invests her money and earns an average annual return of 10 percent (not unreasonable for the wealthy of America), she will earn more than $1.4 million per week in interest alone, or almost $6 million per month. So, the $75 million she would earn in annual interest would be nearly triple the annual salary of the highest paid player in the NBA.
Remember when 50 Cent said, "Have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire"? Reminds you of that song, doesn't it?
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
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Comments: (56)
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By: Marsha on 6/26/2010 2:43PM
OK. I've got a little different take on this thing. Sticking with the "poor nanny" position, I would like to suggest that perhaps Tiger saw her coming?? There are certainly plenty of professional white women that would be more on his financial level that he could have chosen. So why Elin? perhaps because she seemed gullable enough to play the role that he was auditioning for: The dutiful, supportive wife, come to my golf touraments, take wonderful family photos, have my children, stay at home and nuture them, protect my image for my endorsements, while I live my sordid life behind your back, and everyone else's. WOW what a role to play!! And she got the part, and played it well. But maybe, just maybe she was not acting. And maybe, just maybe she has a right to be PO'd that now she has to take HIV tests, and tests for all kinds of STD's because this man was out with all kinds of porn stars and prostitutes. And she may also be afraid of what she could have possibly passed on to her children. No, I blame Tiger for this whole mess. He obviously did not respect his gift that was 20yrs in cultivation. I believe that the one truth that he told during his press conference was that he "felt entitled". His arrogance and pride is what got him into this mess, and if it wasn't the women it was going to be something else. Now having said all that, do I believe she should get this kind of money? NO WAY!!! But I do believe she should get more than the pre-nup. Afterall, this guy has definitely caused her some pain and suffering. It doesn't matter to me that she is white!! I don't care if she was purple. That's just not the way you treat another human being, and especially the mother of your children!! Still wish Tiger well though.
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By: vdog on 7/06/2010 11:26PM
As KANYE said I AIN'T SAYIN' SHE'S A GOLD DIGGA, BUT SHE AIN'T MESSIN WIT A BROKE N----!!!!!
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By: vdog on 7/06/2010 11:30PM
Life just ain't fair. Get ya A$$ whipped on Thanksgiving and then give up $750 million by the 4th of July!!!!
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By: Angela Harvey on 7/02/2010 11:01AM
I'm so sick of men trying to equate the worth of their relationships and marriages to a dollar amount. Whether it's $750 million or $750 billion, a covenant has been broken and no amount of money can make up for that. Divorce is devastating. The money should be the least of all concerns.
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By: 12bigman on 6/26/2010 4:44PM
I agreed;but would this be up for discussion if Elin was a big name golfer or tennis player or Coporate Exec. and Tiger was the average man,true he would have his career,but nothing compares to hers and if she went and cheated on him numerous times and they divorce would it be fair if he got the same $750 or so million for five almost six yrs of marriage or he has to be the big man and walk away regardless if she cheated on him or not.
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By: god72father on 6/27/2010 4:31PM
Now that the marriage is over convenant or not there is a considerable amount of money up for grabs and both parties want to make the best deal possible.Unfortunately in life when it is all said and done everything comes down to dollars and cents.
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By: clifton ford on 6/30/2010 12:23PM
Get real bi-atch!! She ain't gettin no 750 mil!!
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By: clifton ford on 6/30/2010 12:29PM
Get real bi-atch!! She ain't gettin no 750 mil!!
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By: ooiobaae on 6/26/2010 8:05PM
of corse elin has the upper hand since tiger didnt jsut cheat, but he cheated with multiple women, cheated while his wife was pregnant, & cheated while she was in labor!
however, why is elin getting 3/4, 750mill. I think elin should get 1/2 not 3/4.
per your calculations boyce, she is getting 12.3mill per week, that is more than the actors(denzel, will, angelina) who earn $20mill for a movie.
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By: rh on 6/26/2010 9:21PM
Read between the lines, this is what whappens when a rich brotha (whether he acknowledges being black or not the world does)marries a white women,he auto
matically loses in divorce court and the penalty is to take all of his money for his discretions.
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