Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya is a retired professional boxer and one of the most successful boxing promoters in the history of the sport. Born on February 4, 1973, in East Los Angeles, California, to Mexican-American parents, De La Hoya grew up in a boxing family. His grandfather, father, and brother were all fighters, and young Oscar began training at age six. He became a standout amateur, compiling an impressive record that culminated in winning a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in the lightweight division, the only American boxer to win gold at those Games.

Turning professional in November 1992, De La Hoya quickly became one of boxing’s biggest pay-per-view attractions. Known as “The Golden Boy” for his good looks, charisma, and exciting fighting style, he captured world titles in six different weight classes, from super featherweight to middleweight. His fights against legendary opponents including Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao generated hundreds of millions of dollars in pay-per-view revenue. His 2007 fight with Mayweather set a pay-per-view record at the time with 2.4 million buys.

After retiring from boxing in 2009 with a professional record of 39-6 with 30 knockouts, De La Hoya focused on his promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, which he founded in 2002. The company has grown into one of the most powerful entities in boxing, promoting world champions like Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, and many others. Golden Boy Promotions has staged some of the biggest fights of the 2010s and 2020s, generating billions in revenue and making De La Hoya one of the wealthiest figures in combat sports.

Beyond boxing, De La Hoya has invested in real estate and various business ventures. He briefly owned a stake in the Houston Dynamo MLS soccer team and has been involved in music and entertainment projects. Despite personal challenges, including well-publicized struggles with substance abuse, De La Hoya has remained a powerful figure in the boxing world. His combined earnings from his fighting career, which totaled over $700 million in purses, and his promotional business have built his net worth to an estimated $200 million.