Shane Warne fortune: How the Australian cricketer star made $1.25million in just one phone call

Warne, who would go on to amass a staggering fortune of $50 million, outdid himself in 1999 with a phone call to his UK-based agent, Michael Cohen.

In the biography Spin KingWarne wrote about the bidding war for his services in English county cricket.

“Michael called with an offer of £150,000 from (county cricket club) Hampshire plus a car, house and flights. Then there was a radio deal. Six shows at £500 a pop,” Warne wrote.

“There was a deal with The Times for 10 columns at £12,000 each and a book deal for £200,000 to tell my story so far with Hodder and Stoughtoun. 500,000 pounds in one phone call!”

The exchange rate at the time meant that Warne earned around $1.25 million that day.

As news.com.au previously reportedWarne started earning money off the pitch in 1994, just two years into his cricketing career.

In 2004, the cricketing legend’s notoriety meant his appearances earned him $300,000 a year.

At the time of his death, Warne was working as a commentator for Sky Sports and Fox Cricket. In 2018, he was reported to be the highest paid member of Fox Sport’s cricket commentary team. Although his exact salary was not disclosed, it is believed he was paid above the $7,000 a day rate he earned at Channel 9.

In 1998, Warne was reportedly paid $200,000 by Pharmacia Upjohn – which made Nicorette – to endorse their nicotine replacement product. It was reported that Warne had used their products in an attempt to cut his habit of 40 cigarettes a day. While he was later pictured smoking a cigarette after touring Barbados, it appears the company has not asked for a refund.

Although details regarding the cost were never disclosed, Warne has also endorsed products, services and brands like VB Beer, Pepsi, McDonalds, pasta sauce brand Leggos, SPC Baked Beans, Just Jeans, Nike, Oakley sunglasses, eBay, hair loss. Advanced Hair Studio treatment program, Marshall car batteries, Big Bash League SuperCoach fantasy game, and Message On Hold – a service that provided music or messages to callers placed on hold.

Although Warne would have received varying amounts from these brands depending on his commitments and career at the time, The Age reports that he received $1 million for his five-year Nike contract and $200,000 and 80 $000 from his three-year Oakley contract and working with Just Jean from the late 90s.

One of his longest partnerships was his 18 years as an ambassador for Advanced Hair Studio hair loss treatment center. Beginning in 2004, Mr. Warne credited the program with alleviating his male pattern baldness through their laser treatments.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph’s Confidential in 2020, Warne credited himself with making hairplants “cool”.

“I think I helped so it’s cool to do it rather than this stigma of being known as the guy

who got his hair done,” he said.

“It’s not like in the 60s when people stuck on the toupee and people took the micky because they could tell, it’s not like that anymore”.

However, while appearing on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2016 — a role that would have earned him $2 million — Warne said there was an approval line he refused to cross.

“Erectile dysfunction,” he said when asked about the branding of the product. “Condoms, I was asked to make them. I said no to both of them.”

Originally published as Lucrative $1.25 million phone call from Shane Warne