Floyd Mayweather has been hit with a £5.7 million ($7.3 million) tax bill by the US Internal Revenue Service after a federal lien was filed against the former world boxing champion in Las Vegas, raising fresh questions over his financial standing and long-circulated billionaire status.
The filing relates to unpaid taxes from 2018 and 2023, according to Business Insider. The notice, filed last month, states that the debt was still outstanding as of 26 March. Representatives for Mayweather did not respond to requests for comment, leaving the latest claim from US tax authorities unanswered publicly.
This isn't the first time Mayweather has faced a lien. Previously, he faced a £17.6 million ($22.5 million) lien over 2015 taxes and a £5.6 million ($7.2 million) claim tied to 2010. Despite that history, he has often been associated with reported career earnings of around £0.90 billion ($1.15 billion), a figure that has helped shape his image as one of the wealthiest athletes in sport.
US Tax Authorities Reopen Financial Scrutiny
The Internal Revenue Service filing effectively places a legal claim over Mayweather's assets until the outstanding amount is settled. While such liens do not automatically lead to seizure, they can restrict the sale or transfer of property until the debt is cleared.
Floyd Mayweather's net worth is not officially confirmed, but most widely cited estimates place it at around £790 million to £950 million ($1 billion to $1.2 billion), depending on how his private investments, cash holdings, and business interests are valued. The uncertainty matters because, unlike publicly listed fortunes, his wealth is not independently audited, so figures fluctuate between reports and assumptions.
A £5.7 million ($7.3 million) IRS tax lien on its own is unlikely to meaningfully alter that billionaire label in a mathematical sense. Even at the lower end of estimates, the debt represents less than one per cent of his total reported wealth. In pure net worth terms, that is a relatively small liability.
However, the issue is less about the size of the bill and more about what it signals. Repeated tax liens can raise questions about liquidity, tax planning, and how easily assets can be accessed. Wealth on paper does not always mean cash readily available, especially when holdings are tied up in property, investments, or business structures.
So while the debt alone would not strip him of billionaire status if those estimates are accurate, it does chip away at the perception of effortless wealth that has long surrounded him.
Legal Disputes and Ring Returns
Away from tax matters, Mayweather has also been involved in a legal dispute with former broadcast partner Showtime, alleging around £265 million ($340 million) in misappropriated funds. The claims, which remain unresolved, mark a rare public breakdown in a long-standing commercial relationship.
At the same time, he has signalled a return to professional competition after nearly a decade of retirement, alongside a series of exhibition bouts.
He is reportedly set for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao on 19 September in Las Vegas, streamed on Netflix, although the exact format has been questioned by Mayweather himself, who has referred to it as an exhibition.
Pacquiao has said advance payments have already been received, even as uncertainty remains over final details.
Additional exhibitions are also being discussed, including potential fights against Mike Tyson in the Democratic Republic of Congo and kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Greece, though neither has been formally confirmed.
