Soccer legend making more money in retirement

David Beckham turns 40 on Saturday, entering a new era in the metamorphosis of his incredible earning power. He once sported a Jean-Paul Gaultier sarong, but now his catwalk appearances are more likely to be in support of wife Victoria's blossoming fashion design career, as he dons classic suits befitting the increased status of his business ventures, CNN reports. Beckham reportedly earns more since his 2013 retirement from football than when he was a highly-paid player at some of the world's biggest clubs. But has the man dubbed "Golden Balls" reached too far away from his core values with a couple of his latest ventures, promoting alcohol -- as a player he always insisted he was not a drinker -- and being associated with a casino chain? He took home $75 million in the past year according to a 2015 Forbes list of non-active athletes, helping launch a niche single-grain whiskey with drinks giant Diageo and partnering Las Vegas Sands -- which has gambling operations in the U.S. and Asia among its resorts -- as he beat his previous high of $51 million. "I don't think it's a good move," says former Saatchi and Saatchi advertising executive Alex Fynn, who believes father-of-four Beckham should stick to what made him so popular in the first place -- sports, fashion and family-oriented entertainment. "When he started off, he was a celebrity endorser -- but because most of the attributes that he personifies have been so positive, he was able to become a brand in himself," says Fynn, who has been a marketing and media consultant to top sports teams and ruling bodies since leaving Saatchi in the mid-'90s. "It's a great problem when you go into areas that are not related to your specific area of competence or renown. He has core values which are so much more widespread than most celebrities. He should stick to that -- there's no need to link himself to extraneous products or services." Beckham's representatives insist the relationship with Las Vegas Sands is primarily about helping establish the group as a travel destination while the link with Diageo reflects the former England international's appeal to mature fathers rather than teenagers. Read more