Looking for a bit of inspiration to help get your life in gear? Then look no further than retired navy seal and renowned endurance athlete, David Goggins. A native of Williamsville, New York. Goggins grew up in small-town Indiana and endured a childhood of poverty and prejudice on his way to becoming a member of the U.S Airforce. He was later discharged honourably only to endure a downward spiral into obesity.
Goggins did not let this be the end of his story though. Relying on sheer dint of hard work, mental strength, and determination, he was able to shed over 100lbs in a matter of weeks and made it into the seal training program. He finished the program in flying colors and spent more than four years serving in this regard. Goggins has since retired and is now one of the highly sought after public speakers in his country. He has also penned a bestselling motivational book and has an apparel line, all of which has helped him build up a net worth of about $2.5 million.
How David Goggins Built his $2.5 Million Net Worth
His Paychecks from the Military run into Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
David Goggins initially applied to join the United States Air Force Pararescue in his late teens. He however could not complete the training, due to some health challenges, and switch to another branch of the U.S Airforce, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). He was more successful this time around and spent about five years serving as a member of the unit 3 before leaving the Airforce entirely in 1999. According to estimates, the average salary of the TACP is around $72,363 per annum meaning that Goggins could have made as much as $361,815 during his time there.
Following his discharge from the Airforce, David Goggins returned home and spent the next several months working as a pest exterminator. He reportedly earned about $1000 per month but after some time became dissatisfied with the quality of life he was living. The young man spent all of his spare time watching TV and eating unhealthy foods, thus pilling on much weight. He didn’t have much of a life left and so when he heard a TV ad announcing recruitments for the Navy Seal program, he figured that he had nothing to lose.
Goggins embarked on an extensive weight loss program and joined the Navy Seal training. It wasn’t easy by any means but he was able to complete it in good time and subsequently became a Navy Seal. He would later retire from the U.S Navy as a chief petty officer. According to estimates, chief petty officers earn an average of $76,954 per year while Navy Seals make something slightly less estimated at $54,000 per annum. Their pay is then complemented by the incentives that members of the US Military are entitled to such as hazardous pay, housing allowance, special clothing allowance, and family subsistence allowance. These allowances run into thousands of dollars per annum and all of them, together with his substantive pay, has contributed a large portion of David Goggins Net worth.
He has raised about $2 Million from Ultra-Marathons for Various Charities
Asides from his exploits in the military, David Goggins has also made a name for himself as one of the fittest persons walking the face of the earth. The Indiana native has competed in some of the world’s toughest and hardest races, such as the Badwater Ultra-Marathon, and this is for a good course. While serving in Iraq in 2005, Goggins witnessed the death of several of his friends and comrades in Operation Red Wings. The loss had a sobering effect on him and he started looking for an avenue through which he could honour his fallen compatriots.
He finally decided to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation; an organization that gives grants, scholarships, and counselling to children of fallen heroes. In order to raise these funds, Goggins took to competing in some of the world’s toughest physical marathons and ultra-marathons. This wasn’t easy, he urinated blood and broke his metatarsals, but he endured and finished his first race. Since then, the retired Navy Seal has featured in about 60 ultra-marathons, triathlons and ultra-triathlons and has been able to raise about $2 million for charity.
Goggins Earns as much as $20,000 to $50,000 per Speech
David Goggins Net worth has also benefited from his prolificness on the speaking circuit. The former Navy Seal has grown to become one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in America and this is due to his inspiring backstory. He conquered congenital heart defect as well as asthma and was able to make it into the Airforce. He then subsequently conquered obesity to emerge as a member of the elite seal team five. In doing so, he made history as the only member of the U.S. Armed Forces to complete seal training, army ranger school as well as air force tactical air controller training.
All these achievements came against the backdrop of the peculiar challenges of racism that face black people in the U.S. This has made Goggins an inspiration to many and professional sports teams, such as the Atlanta Hawks and the Seattle Seahawks, have hired him to re-energize their teams. He has also been tapped to help pump up the spirits of several collegiate sports players. Beyond the sporting world, Goggins has also been hired to impart his principles of non-complacency to the employees of many fortune 500 companies
The exact details of the former Navy Seal’s speaking fees are not known but it is estimated that he makes from $20,000 to $50,000 per speech. He gives tens of speeches each year thus making for hundreds of thousands of dollars in total remuneration.
He Authored the Bestselling Book, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds.
In 2018, David Goggins decided to put together his life experiences in a memoir titled Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds. The book expertly captured the nightmarish childhood of poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse that he escaped on his way to the Airforce. It also focused on how he utilized self-discipline, toughness, and hard work to overcome depression and obesity on his way to becoming a U.S Armed Forces icon as well as one of the most famous endurance athletes in the world.
Such an inspiring story propelled the book to the top of the NYT bestsellers list. It was also named to Yahoo Finance best business books of 2019 and the audio version topped the Amazon Charts. To date, Can’t Hurt Me has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Going by its price on Amazon, i.e. $19, it stands to reason that Goggins would have made not less than $1.9 million from the publishing deal.
He Launched His Eponymous Apparel Line in September 2020
David Goggins Networth is set to witness a significant rise in the future as he launched his eponymous apparel line in September 2020. The line features head wears (such as beanies and snapback caps), accessories (such as water bottles and branded facemasks), T-shirts, as well as hooded sweatshirts. Prices for these items range from $20 to as much as $60 and Goggins potentially stands to make a handsome profit from the line. His fans have long yearned for an official apparel line from him and now their dreams have come true, there is no doubt that they would snap up items like hotcakes.
Sources of David Goggins Networth
- Army Salaries – $600k est
- Speeches – $250K est
- Apparel Line – N/A
- Books – $1.9 Million est
- Ultra-marathons and Triathlons – $2 Million
How David Goggins Net worth Has Grown Over the Years
As earlier indicated, Goggins grew up in relative poverty in Indiana. His fortune however witnessed an improvement after he joined the U.S. Airforce Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) in 1994. He would spend the next five years earning about $72,363 per annum, making for a total of $361,815 in five years. Following his honourable discharge from the Airforce, David Goggins returned home and spent about two years working as a pest exterminator. During this period, he earned about $1000 a month making for a total of about $24,000 in all.
Goggins would return to the military and qualify as a Navy Seal in 2001. He would spend not less than four years in this role, during which he earned about $54,000 per annum, and later retire as a Chief Petty Officer. Since retirement, Goggins has continued to grow his net worth through his speeches, his bestselling memoir as well as his apparel line. All this has helped him achieve a net worth of about 2.5 million.
David Goggins Net worth Milestones
- 1999 – $361,815
- 2001 – $24,000
- 2005 – $216,000
- 2020 – $2.5 Million
The Retired Navy Seal Dedicates a Good Portion of his Fortune to Charity
David Goggins firmly subscribes to the belief that life is not about certificates, medals, cars, houses, money, or fame but rather the scars we have to show for the efforts we made in life. Given such beliefs, it is obvious that he won’t be splashing out his cash on a luxurious life and this is the reality.
The foremost endurance athlete is not known to have several houses or luxurious cars lying around but rather focuses on using his time and money to help others. Asides from his continuous collaboration with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which has seen him raise about $2 million for the foundation, Goggins has also embarked on his own individual charity initiatives.
For instance, in May 2017, he organized a sale of t-shirts branded with some motivational quotes and later revealed that the proceeds for the sale would go towards helping make a difference. He, therefore, asked individuals and organizations who were doing something in that regard to send in their applications for grants.
Some of the Records that David Goggins has Achieved
- Goggins is the only member of the U.S. Armed Forces to complete seal training, army ranger school as well as air force tactical air controller training.
- As an endurance athlete, Goggins is also the former Guinness World Record holder for completing 4,030 pull-ups in 17 hours.
