If you were to judge the recent Beckham-Peltz spat solely on who had the bigger profile, its fair to say that – on this side of the Atlantic at least – David and Victoria would be the easy winners.
But if it came down to who had the bigger bank balance, the Beckhams have to make do with second place. And it’s not even close.
Of course the Beckhams aren’t short of a few bob - they are still making millions a year through various investments and businesses.That includes Victoria Beckham’s fashion brand, david Beckham’s investment in Inter Miami (currently home to Lionel Messi) – as well as the endorsement deals both have with other firms.It’s hard to find an exact figure, but the Beckhams’ net worth (combined – because they’re kind of a package deal) is thought to be somewhere in the region of $500m-$600m
But that pales in comparison to Brooklyn Beckham‘s father-in-law – Nelson Peltz. He has an estimated net worth of around $1.6 billion, according to Forbes.
So roughly three times what the Beckhams are worth.
It’s also worth pointing out how very different the foundations of those two figures are.Peltz’s worth is based on the millions he’s made running companies through the years, as well as the investments he currently has in some very big business.Of course those investments aren’t shock-proof, but they’re at least somewhat related to tangible assets.
Some of the Beckhams’ wealth has a link to very real world things too – but really much of their net worth is based on something far more intangible; their image and reputation.
Much of their earnings – and potential future earnings – are about how much they can make by being the face of a watch brand or an aftershave line. As we have seen with others, that’s a relatively fragile metric – as a minor scandal, or even a shift in the culture, can severely damage that in a way that even a broader economic downturn cannot.
So where did Peltz make his money?
Well it’s not quite a rags to riches story – Peltz was born into a fairly well-off family.
His grandfather had established a food distribution business called A Peltz & Sons, which his father eventually took over. He says it was making around $2m in revenue in or around the ’50s and ’60s, which is a lot of money for the time.
It is revenue, rather than profit, but Peltz says it was enough to support the family of five “beautifully”.
And it was enough for him to be sent to a private school in New York, and than onto a respected business school in Pennsylvania - called the Wharton school.
But Peltz said he felt like it wasn’t for him,and he got bored of it quite quickly.
Instead, he dropped out and travelled up the east coast to Maine, where he became a ski instructor. In his words he became a ”ski bum”. That continued through to the spring of the following year,when the snow melting left him out of work.
He then got an offer of another instructing job, this time in Oregon, and all he needed was $200 to get him to the west coast.
To get that he asks his dad if he can work as a driver for the company for a few weeks. But after a few days, Peltz said he started to point out all of the things they could be doing better.
His dad suggests he stay where he is and start putting his ideas into practise – and Nelson agrees.
And that’s the start of his career as a businessman…
Yes, he and his brother Robert are essentially given free reign by the
Nelson Peltz: From Snapple to Activist Investor
Nelson Peltz, a prominent figure in the business world, first gained widespread recognition through his involvement with Snapple. In 1997, Peltz’s Triarc Companies acquired Snapple Beverage Corporation for $300 million. He revitalized the brand, moving away from older marketing strategies and introducing new flavors to boost consumer interest.
Three years later, in 2000, Snapple was sold to Cadbury Schweppes for $1.45 billion. This represented nearly five times the original purchase price, with Peltz reportedly earning $450 million from the deal.
Since then, Peltz has continued investing in food and beverage companies through Triarc, most notably Wendy’s. More recently, he transitioned into an ”activist investor” role. This involves acquiring a minority stake in a company and leveraging that position to advocate for specific changes.
These changes can range from improvements in environmental practices and supply chain ethics to cost-cutting measures and the sale of business divisions. The ultimate goal is to enhance company performance and increase shareholder value, allowing the investor to profit from selling their stake.
Through Trian Investments, Peltz and his partner Peter May have taken stakes in numerous major corporations, including Cadbury Schweppes, Kraft Foods, Heinz, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Unilever, and General Electric.
Peltz has frequently engaged in “proxy battles,” where shareholders attempt to gain control of a company or install allies on its board of directors to influence its direction. This approach has solidified his reputation as a forceful and assertive investor. When once asked if he was a bully, Peltz conceded, “that’s probably fair.”
