Michael Eugene Fanning was born on 13 June 1981, in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia, of Irish descent. Mick is a professional surfer, best known for winning three ASP World Tours, and for his nickname “White Lightning”. He also notably survived a great white shark attack in 2015. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Mick Fanning? As of mid-2016, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $4 million, mostly earned through a successful career in surfing. He’s been surfing professionally since 2001 and has won numerous high profile competitions. His encounter with the shark also put him into the spotlight. As he continues his career it is expected that his wealth will increase.
Mick Fanning Net Worth $4 million
Fanning started surfing when he was 12 years old during the time his family moved to Tweed Heads, New South Wales. He grew up with fellow surfer Joel Parkinson, and they attended Palm Beach Currumbin State High School. He started making a name for himself in 1996 when he placed in the top three at the Australian National Titles.
In 2001, Mick joined the Rip Curl Pro competition at Bells Beach as a wild card entry. He won the competition and then became the 2002 rookie of the year after winning the Billabong Pro. This win earned him a slot in the World Qualifying Series’ (WQS) Championship. In 2004, after competing for a few years, he suffered a hamstring injury and had to undergo surgery before he could compete again. He returned and surprised a lot of competitors as he continued to win tournaments, becoming one of the greatest surfers on the ASP World Tour.
Fanning joined the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour as well as the WQS, and in 2007, he won the Quiksilver Pro on the way to a World Title Campaign. He then won the Santa Catarina Pro held in Brazil and would become the 2007 ASP champion. In 2008, he was held back by a groin injury, but the following year he reclaimed the championship after winning at the Pipeline reef break. His next win would come in 2013, again in the Pipeline. In 2015, he got his first win at the World Qualification Series by winning the 2015 Vans World Cup.
One of the most notable events of his career came in July 2015 while competing at the J-Bay Open 2015 finals. He encountered a shark and it was suspected that it was a great white shark that swam next to him. When the shark bit his leash he punched the shark and attempted push the board in between himself and the shark, and tried to swim back to the shore. Julian Wilson tried to help Fanning, and then a rescue boat scared the shark away. The two surfers were given a shared victory and the event got international coverage.
Inconsequentially, researchers believe that the shark may have had no intention of biting him.
For his personal life, it is known that Mick married model Karissa Dalton in 2008, but they filed for divorce in early 2016. Aside from that, he supports the National Rugby League club the Penrith Panthers.
