THEY’VE been dubbed the ‘normal’ royals and don’t get a penny from the palace purse.
Now Mike and Zara Tindall‘s lives are set to captivate the masses as the former England rugby star gears up for this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
The father-of-three, 43, who married the King’s niece in 2011, has agreed to be the first royal family member to brave the ITV show.
At the same time, Zara, 41, has been hard at work modelling for sailing and outdoor clothing brand Musto in a moody autumnal photoshoot.
It’s the latest in a string of smart money-making ventures that have seen the couple ride tractors, sell off a stunning mansion and even launch a high-end gin.
Here, we reveal how the Tindalls have earned their incredible self-made fortune.
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Mike likely learned a lot about the working world during his teen years, when he had a job at a local chippy where he was “paid according to how many fish” they sold.
While he described it as the worst job he had, he admitted there were “no real disasters” apart from “rowdy northerners complaining” about portion sizes.
Despite being worth £15.7million and the fourth richest rugby player, according to a 2020 Ruck magazine report, the frugal star admits he “always worry about money”.
“I am very conscious about money, spending only what I have. That was always the way when I started professional rugby,” he told The Times.
As a respected sportsman with a 17-year rugby career and the 2003 World Cup under his belt, Mike remains a must-have speaker for fancy fine dining events.
Currently, his fees are listed as under £10,000 on the Gordon Poole Agency, which brokers some of his arrangements.
Mike’s also enjoyed gigs as a brand ambassador including for the online exchange broker UFXMarkets and bookmakers Betway.
However, it hasn’t always gone to plan – he and Zara were criticised for promoting VST Enterprises, a Covid-19 immunity-tracking app for athletes, in 2020.
Alongside paid work, Mike and Zara both engage in regularly charity work including for Sports Relief, Parkinson’s disease organisations and other humanitarian companies.
Experts believe Zara rakes in around £1.1million a year for her brand deals and ambassador work.
She’s had longstanding arrangements with Land Rover, Rolex and the investment firm Artemis but has also gone into other areas.
They include an equestrian-themed jewellery collection with the Australian company Calleija in 2015, with items that ranged in price from £3,500 to £223,000.
Zara worked with iCandy Prams, a horse video game named Howrse and the clothing brand Musto, which she was recently pictured wearing.
Previously she had other deals with John Deere tractors, an ambassador role with Samsung and worked as a golf academy ‘cadet’ for Slingsby Gin.
But not all of the deals haven’t earned positive attention.
She was criticised for taking a £100,000-a-year role at Global Group of companies – which was owned by Hong Kong tycoon Dr Johnny Hon – where she advised on on horse racing.
I’m A Celeb isn’t Mike’s only foray into showbiz. Famously he drank his own urine on Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and was also on Channel 4’s The Jump.
He’s also had TV stints playing poker with other celebrities and professionals, including on Shark Cage, Celebrity Poker Club and All-Star Poker Challenge.
Mike received £25,000 for winning the latter show, which he donated to Parkinson’s UK – a charity close to his heart after his father was diagnosed with the illness 20 years ago.
While his current deal with I’m A Celeb has not been made public, it’s estimated to be a six-figure sum.
In addition to TV work, Mike – like many other celebrities – transitioned into the world of podcasting.
He’s been on two podcasts including The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, which he co-hosts with ex-England teammate James Haskill and presenter Alex Payne.
Away from the public eye, Mike has five companies registered under his name, which cover online stock trading, the gin market and his broadcasting work.
In 2010, he bought the racehorse Monbeg Dude with his friend Michael Scudamore while drunk at a charity auction for £12,000.
Zara branded him an “idiot” for buying a share in the animal because he had no idea about horses or racing.
However, three years later after a series of wins – including the Welsh Grand National – Monbeg Dude was estimated to be worth £200,000.
Mike even earned a whopping £105,500 after the horse came third in the 2015 Grand National despite being an outsider with 40-1 odds.
Alongside co-stars from The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, he launched a gin brand Black Eye this year, which sells signed bottles for £60 and unsigned for £40.
Away from their earnings, the couple also have a number of properties that helped to rake in a fortune. £500
In 2014, the Daily Mail reported they had made a £500,000 profit from selling their five-bedroom home in Cheltenham for £1.27million, which they moved into five years earlier.
The publication also reported that Mike owned two three-bedroom flats – one was in the centre of Bath in a Georgian house and worth £400,000.
The other, in Dubai, was worth £300,000 but was predicted to double in price by 2020.
Mike reportedly used to rent out both of the properties, but it is unclear whether he still owns them.
Apart from smart attire at public events, little is known about how the Tindalls spend their money.
The couple are notoriously private about their home and have only revealed certain rooms while being interviewed via video link for TV shows.
In 2018, they submitted plans to add a conservatory to their home, which was part of a two-storey extension to create an open-plan kitchen and dining room, a ground-floor toilet and a utility area.
The one thing that they are known to splash out massively on is gadgets, which Mike is obsessed with.
He said: “I like TVs, sound systems and a nice cinema room where it is all wired in properly. We always upgrade quickly with tablets and smartphones.”
Despite earning a fair fortune, Mike remains frugal and has openly spoken about his concerns that someday his paid gigs will dry up.
He told The Times: “I was very fortunate… but sponsorships won’t last forever.
“You’ve got to plan… [for] what’s coming down the line in terms of school bills, fees to pay.”
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While Mike seemed cautious, he seemed hopeful when it came to working out how to earn a living as the years go on.
He said: “Zara and I have always been good at getting on with what’s right for us.”
