While most of the U.S. was focused on the Super Bowl—a reasonable fascination given it is the biggest game of the year for America’s most popular sport—an impressive case of generosity may have ducked under most of the public’s radar.
David Beckham, legendary English soccer player, model, business and family man, signed a deal to play with top French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG). Beckham is nearing the tail end of his career, having finished up a successful stint in the United States’ Major League Soccer, where he played for the last six seasons.
“Becks” has played for some of the best clubs in the world, including Manchester United and Real Madrid, and surely could have commanded an extremely high salary from an up-and-coming club, like Turkish Club Galatasaray, who just signed Ivory Coast superstar Didier Drogba and Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
Instead, with his signing at PSG, a team that features the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Ezequiel Lavezzi, Beckham decided to donate the entirety of his earnings for this year to a local Parisian charity.
Granted, Beckham has only signed a five-month agreement, but the idea and execution of this gesture is rare, if not unheard of, in the sporting world. Becks signed a deal worth 10 million euros a year, roughly $13.6 million.
Of course, as the agreement is only set for five months, Beckham will not earn the entirety of the salary, but will still donate every euro he earns per week, which is reported by yahoo.com to be around $237,825.
The money will go to a children’s charity in Paris. Beckham, who, according to celebritynetworth.com, is worth $175 million, said he got the idea from his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. The two have four children of their own together, a factor that possibly guided their decision on which charity to donate to.
“It’s something I’m not sure has been done before, but I’m passionate about children and the charity, so we came together and it’s something special,” said Beckham in a press conference.
While some may say this is more of a publicity stunt, not only for Beckham, but for PSG itself, the gesture remains. Regardless of the very public announcement to donate his salary, the money will still be sent to the charity, which is what truly matters.
It is refreshing to see a professional athlete be so generous with his money. Plenty of athletes do commit large amounts of time and money to their communities, but I have not heard of anything nearing this level, and I hope it gives more athletes encouragement to give in this way.
