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Max Verstappen was 17 when he started his first Formula One race, 18 when he won his first Grand Prix, and 24 when he became a world champion. By 29, he had collected four consecutive championships, a private jet valued at nearly $60 million, and a $15 million superyacht.
Now a Dutch business magazine ranks him among the 500 richest people in the Netherlands — and he did not exactly squeak onto the list. Quote has just released its annual ranking of the country’s 500 richest people, estimating Verstappen’s fortune at €310 million, equivalent to $346 million. That puts him at No. 224, comfortably inside the top half. He is also the youngest person on the list.
Celebrity Net Worth now estimates Verstappen’s fortune at $300 million — up from its previous $200 million estimate, but still below Quote’s figure. The gap raises an interesting question: has Max earned enough before his 30th birthday to build a fortune approaching $350 million after taxes, expenses, and the costs of owning those very expensive toys? Let us talk it out.
Max Verstappen Quick Facts
| Quote 500 rank (2026) | No. 224 (youngest on the list) |
| Quote 500 estimate | €310 million (~$346 million) |
| CNW estimate | $300 million |
| F1 salary and bonuses, 2021–2025 | ~$323 million |
| Private jet | Dassault Falcon 8X, ~$58 million |
| Yacht | 33m Mangusta GranSport “Unleash the Lion”, $12–15 million |
What Is Quote 500?
Quote is a Dutch business magazine owned by Hearst, the publishing company behind titles including Cosmopolitan and Esquire. Its annual rich list began in 1997 and has become a fixture of Dutch financial coverage. Its researchers use company records and discuss their calculations with wealthy individuals and industry insiders. The resulting list puts heirs, company founders, investors, and the occasional exceptionally successful athlete into the same ranking.
When Verstappen first appeared in the Quote 500 in 2022, he occupied the final position: No. 500, with an estimated fortune of €120 million. Four years later, Quote’s estimate has risen by €190 million.
| Year | Quote 500 rank | Estimated wealth |
| 2022 | No. 500 | €120 million |
| 2023 | No. 428 | €150 million |
| 2024 | No. 322 | €210 million |
| 2025 | No. 264 | €260 million |
| 2026 | No. 224 | €310 million |
Career Earnings
Between 2021 and 2025, Verstappen earned around $323 million in Formula One salary and bonuses. The biggest paydays arrived after his first championship. He earned $60 million in 2022, $70 million in 2023, $75 million in 2024, and $76 million in 2025. His 2023 compensation included $25 million in performance bonuses, a fitting reward for a season in which he won 19 of 22 Grands Prix.
The following year, his base salary alone reached $60 million. In 2025, he earned $65 million, with another $11 million in bonuses. He finished that season as Formula One’s highest-paid driver even though he was no longer its reigning champion. That championship went to Lando Norris, who survived a dramatic late challenge from Verstappen and a season-long fight with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Verstappen won eight races, including the Abu Dhabi finale, but lost the title by two points. His bank account still benefited from another exceptionally lucrative season.
His commercial earnings add another layer. EA Sports signed him to a personal partnership in 2023, and Heineken made him a global ambassador for its alcohol-free 0.0 brand. He earned around $6 million in off-track earnings for the twelve months ending in May 2025. Those deals are valuable, but Red Bull’s compensation remains the main engine of his fortune.
Monaco Helps, But the Tax Bill Is Not Zero
There is an obvious question whenever an athlete has collected hundreds of millions of dollars in gross pay: how much disappeared in taxes? Verstappen has an advantage over many other sports stars because he has lived in Monaco since 2015, the year he entered Formula One. Monaco generally does not levy personal income tax on residents, with a special exception affecting most French nationals.
However, Verstappen still faces taxes on income earned in other countries. His manager, Raymond Vermeulen, said in 2023 that Verstappen pays tax on his Dutch Grand Prix earnings and in other countries where he competes. Host countries can tax compensation associated with races and related commercial activities taking place within their borders.
A Private Jet Upgrade and a Yacht Called “Unleash the Lion”
Verstappen has certainly found ways to enjoy the money. In 2020, he bought a Dassault Falcon 900EX previously owned by Richard Branson. He upgraded in 2025 to a Falcon 8X, which reportedly cost around $58 million. The newer jet can fly nearly 12,000 kilometers without stopping for fuel. That same year, Verstappen also took delivery of a 33-meter Mangusta GranSport yacht named “Unleash the Lion.” Published estimates have placed its value between $12 million and $15 million.
Those purchases tie up substantial sums, but a jet or yacht still has resale value. The lasting financial drain comes from depreciation and the cost of operating, maintaining, staffing, and insuring them. Even with Monaco’s tax advantages, a fortune supporting that lifestyle has expenses that a salary headline does not show.
Is $300 Million the Right Number?
The $323 million in racing compensation cited above covers only 2021 through 2025. It excludes his first six Formula One seasons, his 2026 earnings, and endorsements. For illustration, assume those additional earnings bring his career total to $450 million.
To turn $450 million in gross earnings into a $350 million net worth fortune, Verstappen would need to retain nearly 78% of everything he earned, before accounting for investment gains or losses. That would leave $100 million for taxes, management fees, personal spending, and other costs over his career. By comparison, a $300 million fortune would mean retaining two-thirds of those earnings, leaving $150 million for those deductions. Neither outcome is impossible, particularly for someone living in Monaco, but $350 million does strike us as generous — which is why $300 million is the estimate used here.
Who Is the Richest Person in the Netherlands?
According to Celebrity Net Worth’s tracking, with a net worth of $20 billion, the richest person in the Netherlands is Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, the great-granddaughter of Heineken founder Gerard Adriaan Heineken. Bloomberg’s billionaire tracking agrees with that ranking. Quote 500, however, puts Charlene at No. 2 with a net worth of $14.5 billion. Quote 500’s No. 1 is a crypto figure named Jean-Louis van der Velde, pegged at $29 billion by Quote, $16.3 billion by Bloomberg, and $38 billion by Forbes.
Verstappen’s rise from No. 500 to No. 224 in four years shows how quickly sporting dominance converts into lasting wealth — even before his 30th birthday. For more sports fortunes, see our Cristiano Ronaldo contract story, Harry Kane net worth and richest Champions League footballers profiles.
