Were it not for a chance encounter with a star golf player back in the year 2000, Elin Nordegren would most likely have skirted through life unnoticed and would be without her current estimated net worth of $200 million. But alas, that chance encounter did happen, and what would follow was eight years of romance and marriage under the glare of the public eye. That union produced two lovely children and many happy moments of living in luxury. Then, they came the cheating scandal and multiple affairs from which it ultimately could not recover from.
All this had an unforgettable impact on Nordegren but at least she walked away with a huge divorce settlement that set her up for life. The former nanny is not resting on her laurels as she has taken steps to rejig her career, including getting a college degree and becoming a licensed mental health counsellor which enabled her to double her divorce settlement.
Key Takeaways
- Elin Nordegren’s current net worth is estimated at $200 million
- Elin previously worked a series of part-time jobs in her native Sweden.
- She subsequently relocated to the United States to work as an au pair during which she met Tiger Woods.
- The couple dated for three years and tied the knot in 2004.
- Their marriage officially lasted for five years during which they welcomed two children.
- In 2009, it emerged that the golfer had affairs with multiple women and this caused the marriage to crash.
- Nordegren received $100 million in the 2010 divorce settlement.
- She has since made tens of millions more through investments and real estate.
- She has also gained a college degree and has welcomed a third child with her new beau.
Elin Nordegren Worked as a Model and Nanny Before Her Relationship with Tiger Woods
Elin Nordegren largely owes her net worth to her romance with Tiger Woods and that can be traced back to her early years. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Elin hailed from a family that was quite accomplished but perhaps wasn’t that very well to do. This made her and her twin sister, Josefin, take up summer jobs in order to help fund their education.
On Elin’s part, she moonlighted as a model and also worked in several stores and supermarkets. It was in the course of her job at a clothing store that she ran into Mia, the wife of a Swedish professional golfer named Jesper Parnevik. The Parneviks were in need of a nanny who would relocate with them to America and they made Elin an offer. She agreed and moved out with the family in 2000.
In the states, Elin Nordegren resumed her duties in the Parneviks household and this naturally brought her in contact with friends of the family. One of them was popular American golfer, Tiger Woods, and he immediately liked her on sight. He badgered her employers for an introduction but they fended him off. They later bowed down to his incessant demands in 2001 and the two commenced a relationship that same year.
What followed was a three-year courtship that culminated in marriage in October 2004. The nuptials was quite lavish and was held at the exclusive Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados. The couple had about 200 guests in attendance, including sports greats such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.
The Couple Welcomed Two Kids During Their Five-Year Marriage
Following the nuptials, Elin and her newly-minted husband settled down to family life in Florida. The couple was often spotted at several award ceremonies and sports events. Elin also accompanied her husband to major golf championships but asides from that, the couple largely conducted their marriage out of the spotlight. The spotlight wouldn’t let them be though. Unknown persons circulated Elin’s alleged nude photos on the internet but she maintained that she had never taken a nude photo during the course of her brief modeling career.
The Swede was able to prove her claims and was later awarded €125,000 damages against an Irish newspaper that published those pictures. Barring that, Nordegren and Woods had a relatively scandal-free union during which they welcomed two children; daughter Sam Alexis (2008), and son Carlie Axel (2009). Sadly, it was that same 2009 that the couple’s union would unravel.
Nordegren Received a Settlement of $100 Million From the Divorce
As the story goes, Elin had been suspecting her husband of carrying on an affair with a nightclub hostess named Rachel Uchitel. She eventually saw a message on his phone that confirmed it and confronted him with it on a particular night in December 2009. The golfer had no response to the allegation and drove out of the house. Unfortunately for him, he was mentally impaired with sleeping pills and painkillers and so, crashed his vehicle on a fire hydrant, tree, and several hedges near his home. Elin called emergency services and her husband got the treatment he needed.
The crash nonetheless made headlines and it led to an unraveling as several women came forward to allege that they had an affair with the golfer. This was too much for Elin to condone and so, she filed for divorce. The divorce proceedings were relatively amicable even though the couple did renegotiate their prenuptial agreement which had stated that Elin must stay married to Tiger for at least 10 years before she would collect a settlement of $20 million.
Elin successfully renegotiated this and was able to get a much higher amount in the course of the divorce proceedings, thanks to Woods’ indiscretions. Another fact that helped the former model to get a higher figure is that Woods wanted to keep the whole sordid details about his infidelity private. It was therefore agreed that Elin would get $20 million for each year of marriage, totalling $100 million. She would also get $20,000 monthly child support for the children. In exchange, she was forbidden from making intimate details of the whole saga public.
The Former Model Has Since Doubled That Figure Through Real Estate Transactions and Investments
Asides from her divorce settlement, Elin Nordegren’s net worth has further grown as a result of some investments she has made, including a $237,000 investment in the app development and design consultancy company, Trivato.
The former nanny has also made tens of millions from real estate deals. She first purchased a 1920s-style Florida mansion in 2011 for a price of $12.25 million. She initially hoped to renovate it but architects and structural engineers told her that it would be cost-effective to tear it down and rebuild rather than making all the renovations needed. Elin took this advice and allowed some charity organizations to come in and take away salvageable items before demolishing the house and rebuilding it.
Following the rebuilding, Elin and her children lived there for some time before she sold it off for $28.64 million in September 2020. She subsequently paid $9.9 million to purchase another mansion in Palm Beach gardens. The property measures 13,523 square feet and sits on two acres of land. It has six bedrooms and eight and a half bathrooms. Other amenities include a wine room, full house generator, and smart home features.
Nordegren Has Welcomed a Third Child and is Now a Licensed Mental Health Counsellor
The divorce may have taken a toll on Elin Nordegren but she has taken steps to get her life back on track. She began by going back to school, the Rollins College in Florida, where she completed her psychology degree. She graduated with a near-perfect GP in May 2014 and delivered an address to her classmates. During the address, she only made passing remarks about her marriage to Woods and emphasized that education has been the one constant in her life and offered her much comfort.
Elin Nordegren is also moving on with her romantic life. She previously dated a business magnate named Chris Cline. She is now in a relationship with former NFL star, Jordan Cameron. She and Cameron began dating a few years back and are going strong together. They have since welcomed a son, Arthur Nordegren Cameron, who was born on the 4th of October 2019.
With regards to her two older kids, Elin has a healthy co-parenting relationship with her ex. They maintain excellent communication channels in matters involving the children. They have also been spotted together at some events in support of their kids. Woods has even gone ahead to praise their communication and stated that it is incredible to have a best friend like Elin.
