PGA Championship star is billionaire heir set to be five times richer than Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy's extraordinary wealth doesn't hold a candle to Maverick McNealy's status as heir to a multi-billion-dollar fortune. The 30-year-old golfer, who is set to compete in the PGA Championship this week, is the son of businessman Scott McNealy, who co-created Sun Microsystems before selling it for a staggering $7.4billion (£5.4bn). McNealy's privileged background didn't deter him from making his own path in life.

He very nearly followed in his father's footsteps by going for a career in business despite being widely regarded as the most highly rated professional golf prospect in 2016. He made the decision to turn pro in 2017 and won his first PGA Tour event at the RSM Classic in 2024. Hoping to achieve a shock victory at Aronimink Golf Club, McNealy would have to get past the likes of defending champion Scottie Scheffler and two-time Masters winner McIlroy. A win this weekend for the Northern Irishman will see him close in on Tiger Woods' record of being the biggest earner in PGA Tour history.

Having won $114m (£84m) in prize money, the 37-year-old's lucrative endorsements with the likes of Nike, TaylorMade and Omega has resulted in his eye-watering $250m (£184m) net worth, according to CelebrityNetWorth.

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A reality-shattering amount to 99% of the population but in McNealy's case, his portion of the billion-dollar inheritance that he'll share with his three brothers - a figure of $1.35bn (£997m) - is over five times higher than McIlroy's financial status.

Should he pull off an unfathomable victory this week, McNealy will no doubt pay tribute to his wife Maya, who he admitted plays a pivotal role in his career. Speaking after his maiden PGA win in 2024, he said: "I'm the luckiest guy ever. Maya was chatting with me when I was maybe a little bit - being a little bit dramatic but a little bit frustrated.

"She said, 'Well, if you knew you were going to win like in six weeks, would you do anything different?' I said, 'Well, probably not.' So six weeks I did get my win. No, I wouldn't have done anything different."

Alongside McNealy's dedication to golf, the American is a keen flyer and has a pilot licence which he's used to fly himself to several tournaments. Discussing her husband's passion for golfing and flying in 2023, Maya told the PGA Tour: "[He's] watching airplane videos any time he doesn't have a golf club in his hand.

"I don't know how he has the time or the mental patience to get better at both things consistently... but he's one of the most determined people I know." McNealy added: "I told her, 'By the way, I'm going to start getting my pilot's license, and she looked at me like I had three heads.'"