Sammy Sosa is a retired baseball player who now runs a business empire. Before his retirement, he achieved many feats on the field which earned him love and respect amongst his teammates and fans.
Dominican-American baseball player Sammy Sosa lives in the United Arab Emirates after a successful albeit controversial athletic career.
Here’s a rundown of Sammy Sosa’s early life, where he lives and more about his career.
Sammy Sosa’s early life
Sammy Peralta Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic in a two-bedroom apartment in a dilapidated hospital building. When he was seven, he lost his father to a neurological illness. It was a devastating period for the family as Sammy’s mother had to fend for seven children alone.
Sammy’s father was a farmer before he passed away, so there was no massive inheritance or savings to support the family. To help ease the burden of responsibility on his mother’s shoulders, the athlete started menial tasks to raise money – he sold oranges, shined shoes, and cleaned shoe factories. With eight mouths to feed, Sammy kept working hard on these jobs.
When the athlete turned 14, he started playing organized baseball with kids in the neighborhood. It was during one of those friendly games that the Texas Rangers discovered him and invited him for a play-off when he was 16.
Sammy was determined to impress the scout, which earned him a spot on the team. He received a $3500 bonus which he used a part of to buy a bicycle. Whatever was left of the money went to his mother.
The athlete made his major league debut with Texas Rangers in 1989 before getting sold to Chicago White Sox in 1991. He became the Cubs’ first 30-30 player in 1996.
Where does Sammy Sosa live?
Sammy Sosa undoubtedly had a successful career run because he moved from barely surviving as a kid to becoming one of the most sought-after baseball players in his prime.
It was reported in a 2018 interview that the athlete had established official residency in the United Arab Emirates with his wife. He has already established many businesses, and bought houses in the United States and the Dominican Republic. However, he decided to base in the UAE for reasons best known to him.
Where did Sammy Sosa grow up?
Sammy Sosa was initially born in a Consuelo Batey Community. But his registered birthplace is San Pedro de Macoris.
He grew up in Consuelo with seven siblings in a two-bedroom apartment. The athlete spent most of his childhood tending to people so he could raise earnings to ensure his brothers and sisters don’t go hungry.
He wasn’t born into wealth and affluence but has somehow managed to make a mark for himself both in sports and in business. Sammy Sosa is a success story in that even if he didn’t have everything growing up, he has built many business outfits and can earn money even while he sleeps.
What does Sammy Sosa do?
Sammy Sosa retired from playing baseball in 2009. Before his retirement, he earned $12 million yearly. However, this figure was his salary and not inclusive of his various endorsement deals.
The athlete worked with big brands to promote their products and be their spokesman. Brands like Pepsi Co., ConAgra, and Montgomery gained significant revenue from his influence. He championed their brands and took his spark of excellence with it.
Now that he’s away from sports, he’s not stranded because he owns real estate with houses in Panama, an oil company in the Dominican Republic, and a hospitality and beverage company in Great Britain.
His resilience didn’t stop on the field. Sammy Sosa ended his career with 609 home runs. He was one of the players that brought the game of baseball to the headlines and front pages of American newspapers.
The same determination that the Texas Rangers saw when he was 16 still lives in the man as he is successfully managing chains of businesses worth millions of dollars. When most people retire from sports, they typically have big houses with fleets of cars and no account of what they did with all they earned.
However, that’s not the case with the former Cubs Star, Sammy Sosa.
Sammy Sosa’s net worth
In 2022, Sammy Sosa’s net worth was $70 million. He’s one of the richest retired athletes in the world. He earned millions of dollars before retirement and is worth more.
Sammy Sosa is truly iconic in every sphere and he’s the kind of retired athlete we’d love to emulate.