Far from Splurging: How MotoGP and Superbike Riders Really Invest

Beloved brick by brick. Years go by and real estate investments are always in pole position among motorcycle racers, both in MotoGP and among Superbike riders.

Generally, motorcycle racers don’t have university degrees, but sport, as we know, is an excellent school of life. If a young person manages to reach the top in such a complex sport, it means they are anything but naive. The myth of riders who, at the sight of a bit of cash, spent it all on women and luxury has long since faded. Clearly, there are still naive youngsters who let themselves be duped by unscrupulous managers. There are also experienced riders who can stumble into accidental missteps like Jorge Lorenzo did with the Ferris wheel, but they are usually quite good in business.

Riders hear about sponsors and contracts from a young age, starting with national championships, and whether they like it or not, they grow up in the business world. Profits generally come not only from salaries but also from personal sponsors, events, and self-branding—that is, the strategic process of managing one’s professional image, treating oneself as a true “brand.” From this come revenues from merchandising sales, which in some cases can be considerable.

In 2005, Valentino Rossi received an honorary master’s degree in Communication and Advertising for Organizations from the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” and in terms of communication (and not only that) Vale has always been a phenomenon. With due proportions, however, other riders are also skilled in this field. Think, for example, of Enea Bastianini, ambassador for the Terranova brand, who even created a collection inspired by his dog. It’s rare for a 21st-century rider not to have capabilities in advertising and entrepreneurship and then end up broke due to bad investments.

Clearly, we can’t generalize, and we need to distinguish between riders with considerable wealth, such as Marc Marquez, and those in Superbike who have to deal with much smaller figures.

Most riders, as mentioned, invest in real estate in their country of origin, their country of residence, or in more tax-friendly places like Lugano, Andorra, San Marino, and until recently, Dubai. Sometimes they go for luxury properties that they can then rent out or resell, for business ventures managed by third parties, or even for regular apartments to generate rental income. Even with good financial means, riders are very careful not to squander their money. Some fall in love with a villa and buy it without worrying too much about the price, but usually that’s not the case—they are very cautious, and if they need to dive into a hard-nosed negotiation like a shoulder-to-shoulder battle in a corner, they won’t back down.

Many riders rely on teams of experts for traditional financial investments in mutual funds, stocks, and ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds): the goal is to diversify, protect capital, and grow it over time.

Riders also often invest in sports cars, both out of passion and as assets, since they maintain or sometimes increase their market value. The same goes for watches and other luxury goods. Some venture into tech startups or invest in motorsport, leveraging the huge wealth of experience accumulated over the years, but this generally happens at a later stage.