Brad Binder is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer who earns an estimated annual salary of $1 million and is worth about $5 million. The 28 year-old, who made history for being the fifth South African to make it to the Grand Prix motorcycle racer Elite class, rides for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Though he started earning money through his racing career, most especially after he won the 2016 Moto3 World Championships, Binder has been able to open up other streams of income like selling merchandise. All his efforts placed him in good financial stead.
Brad Binder Started His Career Early At The Age of Eight
Judging from the fact that he was given the opportunity to start a career in racing with go-karting at the age of eight, it is safe for one to assume that Brad Binder had a supportive family. Two years after starting his career in 2003, the talented motorbike racer switched to using two wheels, and in no time, he was already winning several titles in different categories like 50cc, 125cc, and 150cc.
We can’t say for sure whether or not he made some money from winning these titles but it definitely provided him with the platform to showcase his talents which brought about opportunities to develop his career.
After winning several titles in South Africa, in 2008, Binder made his first international appearance at a British competition dubbed Aprilia Superteens Series. However, after coming second place in the first race at the competition, he, unfortunately, crashed in the second race, but he did not allow this to deter him.
The following year, he was part of the racers at the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup where he finished in 14th place. In 2010, he competed again for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, and this time he finished in the 5th position. He had another go at the same competition in 2011 but ended up in 7th place.
The Early Years Of His Professional Career Were Not So Smooth
In 2011, Brad Binder officially began his Grand Prix career starting with the 125cc class. That season, he rode bike number 14 which was an Aprilia for RW Racing GP. The season was not favorable for him, owing to the fact that he made no points and his best race saw him finish in 17th place.
After the 2011 season, he moved to Kalex KTM in 2012 and this time around his bike number was 41 and fortunately for him, he made his first MotoGP point at the 2012 Portuguese Motorcycle Grand Prix. He finished fourth place in a race in Valencia and by the end of the season, the racing star had accumulated 24 points and finished at the 21st position overall. However, Brad Binder had a total of seven different crashes that season.
In 2013, he moved from Kalex KTM to Suter Honda but did not stay with the team for long as he left that same year to Mahindra with the Ambrogio Racing team. His decision seemed to work out just fine as his skills were more developed and he was able to score 14 out of 18 races. His best result for the season was a fourth-place finish in Spain and by the end of the season, he had accumulated a total of 66 points with an overall final standing of 13th place.
Brad Binder Won A Motorcycle Grand Prix In 2016
By the end of the 2014 season, Brad was able to improve his final standing to 11th place and in 2015, he moved to KTM factory-supported Ajo Motorsport. That season, he improved with 4 podiums, bringing him to 6th place overall. The next year 2016 was to be one of the biggest years of his career. The 2016 Spanish Motorcycle Grand Prix saw him become the first South African to win a motorcycle Grand Prix. His victory was attained through 14 podiums through the journey to his first championship, 7 wins, and 142 point margin.
The following year, Brad suffered from injuries and was forced to sit out a few race rounds but he was able to improve by 3 podiums and was on his way to becoming number 8 on riders’ standings. In 2018, he went on to improve with three wins and also came out in 3rd place at the championship, the following year saw him struggling with the new Triumph engine, but he was still able to make it to the 2nd place as the best KTM rider with 5 wins and 9 podiums.
Brad Is On A $1.5 Million Contract With Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
In 2020, he joined the Red Bull franchise as he was signed by their motorcycle racing team – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. His stay with the side began on a successful note as he won his first MotoGP race which was the first win for Red Bull KTM Factory in the premier class. This earned him the title of ‘Rookie of the Year’. With his achievements with the team, they were satisfied with his output and decided to offer him a contract extension for a further three years till 2024. Brad Bonger signed the extension and is staying with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing till 2024.
His 2020 contract with Red Bull KTM Factory paid him a salary of $300,000 and a wage of $15,800 per match. However, following the extension, from 2022 through 2024, he is to receive a salary of $500,000 and a wage of $26,500 per match. With these figures as his salary, Brad is currently the 10th highest-paid MotoGP racer. His earnings from the sports are the major source of his estimated net worth which although remains unknown, has been reported to be between $1 million and $5 million.
Asides From Racing, What Other Business Is Brad Binder Known For?
Brad Binder so far has proven to be a successful motorcycle racer which has put him in good stead as his team has handed him a new contract with improved earnings. However, his success also means that he has more followers on social media. On Instagram, Brad Binder has over 200k followers who which helped him open up another source of income.
The talented motorbike racer sells his brand merchandise at affordable prices on Instagram. Fans who are in South Africa and environs can order items that range from customized head gears, to face caps, eyewear, and shirts. These wears are specially branded with his race number – 33. We can’t put a figure on how much the speedster earns from this line of business, however, is it clear that it does contribute to his net worth.
Most celebrities who are as rich as Brad Binder are usually known for flaunting so much wealth, but he is not in that category, Brad does not flaunt his cars, gadgets, or houses on social media but it is obvious he lives a comfortable life. The major thing he flaunts online is himself, doing what we know him to do best and that is motorcycle racing.
