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Five players who were involved in tax scandals before Messi
In the wake of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi’s 21-month prison sentence, here are five other high-profile athletes who were involved in tax scandals.
Mike Tyson
The youngest heavyweight champion famously struggled with finances, and declared bankruptcy in 2005, stating that he was $23million (R155cr) in debt. After appearances in ‘The Hangover’ and Mike Tyson the undisputed truth, Tyson wrote a hefty cheque to the IRS in turn 2014, who in turn forgave him of $2mn tax debt.
Neymar
Earlier this year, the Barcelona star was found guilty of tax fraud for failure to report earnings from his contracts with Santos, Barcelona, and Nike. The Brazilian authorities blocked $50mn worth assets (including a yacht and a jet) and a federal court in Rio de Janeiro ordered him to pay 188.8 million Brazilian reals (R351cr) in fines and back-taxes.
Boris Becker
In 2002, the six-time Grand Slam winner was sentenced to two years of probation for failing to pay 1.7 million euros in taxes between 1991 and 1993. Becker paid more than 3 mn euros (R22cr) for taxes and owed interest.
Steffi Graf
The 22-time Grand Slam winner was accused of tax evasion worth $7.4 million (R49cr) between 1989 and 1993. Graf stated that her father Peter was her financial manager, and matters relating to her earnings at the time had been under his control. Peter was sentenced to 45 months in jail in 1997 and was released after serving 25 months. Graf paid a fine of 1.3 million Deutsche Marks.
Manny Pacquiao
The boxer-turned politician’s bank accounts were frozen in 2013 after accusations of tax evasion worth over $50 million (R337cr). The US Federal Government also claimed that Manny owed over $18 million (R121cr) in taxes from 2006 to 2010. However, the boxer emerged as the Philippine’s top tax-payer after paying Ph pesos163.83 million (R23.4cr) in 2013, and got further relief after the Supreme Court’s intervention earlier this year.
