Marc Márquez 'zero debt': here's how to manage a massive fortune

Marc Marquez has established himself as one of the greatest MotoGP riders of the last twenty years and in history. The phenomenon from Cervera won a title in the 125 class (2010), one in Moto2, and seven in the Top Class. His nine world titles are clear proof of his talent, but the substantial wealth he has accumulated also shows that he is not only an excellent athlete, but also a great entrepreneur of himself.

The financial side has never been a priority for Marc Marquez. Just think of his move from the factory Honda team to Gresini in 2024, or his decision to forgo his full salary after his 2020 injury. In a decade he established himself as the greatest MotoGP rider, managing to beat legends such as Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, and to win with different manufacturers, first with HRC and then with Ducati.

He has also invested his millions of euros very wisely. It should be noted that the Ducati superstar not only earns from his team contracts, but also from numerous sponsorships. One of his smartest financial moves was buying a mega-villa in Pozuelo de Alarcon, an exclusive residential area on the outskirts of Madrid. There he also owns a huge garage where he keeps some cars from his valuable collection, many of them received by triumphing in the BMW M Award, an annual honor given to the MotoGP rider who achieves the best qualifying results during the season.

Today Marc Marquez can boast a net worth of around 80 million euros, between cash and real estate. It’s been a long journey that required sacrifice, training, and plenty of innate talent. “When you get to the World Championship, what are you looking for, the money or the best bike? That’s how I was taught, I was very lucky. They trained me mentally and now I understand. They told me: ‘Let’s look for the best bike because the real money is made in MotoGP’,” #93 told Auto Bild.

His first major success came at just 20 years old, when he was crowned MotoGP World Champion in 2013. “That’s when I met my current lawyer. Since then, I consult with him. There’s an accountant who takes care of my finances and the lawyer.” On that occasion he pocketed a bonus of one million euros. “He told me: ‘It seems like a lot, but it’s not that much, leave it in the bank’,” Marc recalls. However, of that amount, 50% went to taxes, 10% to his manager, in addition to other payments such as training exercise bikes.

The central pillar of his financial empire is his residence in the Spanish capital, a 1,300 m² bunker worth 10 million euros. “It’s an investment. I’m fine if I enjoy it, but I haven’t lost it, it’s there. The house is paid for,” Marquez says, considering the purchase a strategic move. “I have no debts, neither to anyone nor to myself,” declares the MotoGP champion.

For the Spanish tax authorities he is self-employed. “I could claim to be a company because I have employees, but for the tax office I’m self-employed. So I declare myself self-employed because otherwise they would come looking for me and… I’d be in trouble. I don’t want to end up in the newspapers or anything like that.”

However, unlike other athletes, Marc Marquez has not been changed by money and remains hungry for victories. He also chose not to move his residence to Andorra, as some of his colleagues have, where he would have paid far less in taxes. “I’m lucky that money hasn’t changed my lifestyle. It often happens: people start making a lot of money and it changes their lives… I don’t need to show off. I have just as much fun with my friends.”