Father of U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff, Corey, shared a revelation regarding the wealth of LA Lakers star LeBron James. According to one post on social media, James is the first billionaire athlete to compete in the Olympics. Forbes reported that the star forward became a billionaire in June 2022.

Coco Gauff’s father chimes in on LeBron James’ billionaire status (Image credits: Imagn)

Athletes have earned a significant amount of money through their respective sports and also the endorsement deals they get. In some cases, they pursue businesses to help grow their empire, which is what James has done over the years. Even as an active athlete, he got into business and even invested in a few sports teams.

However, Corey made his claim regarding which athlete was the first billionaire to compete in the Olympics. According to him, a tennis star, not James, was the first billionaire athlete to participate in the tournament. He also shared that it happened in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

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Corey Gauff claimed that it was Jessica Pegula who was the first billionaire to participate in the Olympics
Often dubbed as the “World’s Richest Tennis Player,” Jessica Peluga was born into wealth. Both her parents are billionaires and it has given others the impression that the tennis star is also worth billions. However, during Wimbledon in 2023, Pegula clarified to the public about her wealth. According to her, she isn’t a billionaire, only her parents are.

Coco Gauff was in fan mode with LeBron James during the opening ceremony

Coco Gauff was chosen as the female flag-bearer of the 2024 Paris Olympics opening rituals and did it with LeBron James.

Gauff couldn’t believe the experience that she was fortunate to have.

“This is crazy,” Gauff said. “Look! LeBron James!”

James played it cool and posed for the camera as they held the flag over the Seine River, passing the Eiffel Tower.