Kenneth Howard Norton Sr., born on 19 August 1943, was an American professional boxer and author, who became famous through his fights with another boxing legend, Muhammad Ali. He passed away in 2013.
So how much was Norton’s net worth? As of late 2016, based on authoritative sources it is reported to be $5 million, acquired from his years in boxing and the sales of his books.
Ken Norton Net Worth $5 million
Born in Jacksonville, Illinois, Norton was always a lover of sports even when he was a kid. During his high school years in Jacksonville High School, he participated in various sports like American Football, track and field, basketball, and baseball, and excelled in all of them. At one point he was included in the championship team in American Football, and participated in multiple track and field events in one season, and won six of them. A rule was even created under his name, called the “Ken Norton Rule” which limits track and field athletes to participation in a maximum of three events per season.
With his gift in sports, Norton entered Northeast Missouri State University, now known as Truman University, and studied elementary education under a football scholarship. Unfortunately, he endured several injuries playing the sport, and decided to drop out of college.
Norton then decided to join the US Marine Corps in 1963, and subsequently fell in love with a new sport: boxing. While serving his country, he also excelled in boxing, winning the Marine Heavyweight Championship as an amateur three times. After that, in 1967 he decided to turn pro. His early years in boxing prepared him for his bigger fights in his career and also started his net worth.
Early on in his career, Norton was a trailblazer, winning multiple fights in just a short period of time. Although he experienced a couple of losses, his career continued to bloom. One of his career highlights happened in 1973, when he fought against boxing superstar Muhammad Ali for the NABF Heavyweight Title. During the fight, he broke Ali’s jaw and was declared winner after five rounds; the historic moment became one of the most popular fights in history and catapulted his career and wealth. The fight was followed through with two more matches, but both ended in defeats to Ali.
Aside from Ali, Norton also fought great fighter like Larry Holmes, Duane Bobick, and George Foreman, and his various fights ultimately helped raise his net worth and promote his career. In 1981, he decided to retire from boxing for good and in 1992, was inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
After boxing, Norton still spent some time in the world of sports, but this time as a commentator, speaker and even represented athletes through his agency, Ken Norton Management Co. In 2000, he released his autobiography “Going the Distance: The Ken Norton Story” and another book in 2009 entitled “Believe: Journey from Jacksonville”.
In terms of his personal life, Norton was married to Jeanette(1966-68) and then to Rose Conant until his passing. He was the father of four children including Ken Norton Jr. who played in the National Football League for 13 seasons. Ken Norton died in Las Vegas, Nevada in September 2013, after suffering a series of strokes.
