HOW much money does Manny Pacquiao have?
Zero, if boxing promoter and Pacquiao buddy Wakee Salud is to be believed. Interviewed by Sun.Star Superbalita Cebu sports reporter Erwin Lirazan yesterday, Salud said Pacquiao has been so generous with his friends and kin that he has unwittingly depleted his finances.
Lirazan came across a story on ESPN about Pacquiao's fight against Brandon Rios on Nov. 24 being motivated by money. The source of the story, American journalist Ted Lerner, had said that Pacquiao has lost the zeal to fight and is just boxing solely for money.
"After years of spending like there was no tomorrow, it appears that tomorrow has come, and Manny is in need of cash," Lerner said on ESPN.
And so Lirazan asked Salud about the ESPN story. Salud, in all candidness, or perhaps with some dramatic flair, replied, "Di lang kay nahurothurot, hurot gyud!"
So Pacquiao's money is not just "somewhat gone but totally gone." I'm not certain how privy Salud is to Pacquiao's finances but the two of them maintain a bromantic friendship. Salud has always been by the side of Pacquiao in and out of the ring. The two have taken the same path to vices and politics.
But whether Salud has become Bible-quoting like Pacquiao, Superbalita Cebu sports editor Jun Migallen has this to say of the disputable Cordova resident, "Wa man ko kabantay nga naay nausab."
According to therichest.com, Pacquiao has a net worth of $85 million, sourced from his fights and investments. Last year alone, he earned $67 million.
That's a lot of money. That's P3.7 billion in net worth, and P2.9 billion in earnings in 2012. How does one spend all of P2.9 billion in so short a time? My spending habits are not anywhere near Janet Napoles's, and I still ponder upon my own question.
Pacquiao is very generous with his money, Salud said. The People's Champ doles money to everyone; he can't say no to anyone who asks for money. And he does not keep track of where it goes.
Lerner, the journalist quoted on ESPN, said Pacquiao has been contributing generously to his new faith.
Not having money is not alien to Pacquiao. He is used to being penniless when he has no fight, "Hurot man gani ang iyang kwarta katong sige siya'g away, karon pa kaha nga usa ka tuig una siya moaway og balik," Salud said.
Plus, he had spent so much on his congressional campaign last May, Salud told Lirazan.
Salud, whose attempt to run for mayor in Cordova, Cebu got thwarted in the voter's registration phase, would have had his friend Pacquiao as his biggest campaign donor.
Penniless is relative. By Pacquiao's financial standards, having only $1 million is penniless. By our standards, having no money at all is penniless.
Pacquiao had lost in his last two fights, but the losses still earned him $67 million. He last fought in December, and it was by a heartbreaking knockout from Juan Manuel Marquez.
"Manny has clearly lost the zeal for boxing that he once had. Before he used to fight for the love of fighting and the money seemed secondary. Now he is obviously fighting for only one reason: money," Lerner said on ESPN.
Pacquiao is selling his mansion in Hancock Park, Los Angeles for $2.7 million. He bought it in 2009 for $2.17 million. Whether he needs the money or finds no use for it anymore is anyone's guess.
Whether Salud was being truthful or simply being dramatic about Pacquiao's finances, is for us to see in the coming months. Salud was with Pacquiao last Sunday when the congressman of Saranggani opened the MP Boxing Gym in Davao City.
Pacquiao may not have the cash to readily give to anyone who asks for it but he has his investments. It's probably just $1 million cash Manny Pacquiao has now.
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