$530m quarterback Tom Brady shows Raiders and Birmingham how to win by beating Will Smith and Rafael Nadal to world title
Today at 09:54 AM
Tom Brady is a world champion for the eighth time.
The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has added more silverware to his impressive trophy cabinet after his Team Brady won the inaugural E1 World Championship.
The E1 World Championship is the world’s first all-electric raceboat series and includes ten races around the globe in stunning locations, including Venice and Monaco.
Team Brady, who won a total of three races, triumphed after fending off fierce competition from eight other teams, co-owned by figures such as Formula One driver Sergio Pérez, tennis icon Rafael Nadal, soccer great Didier Drogba, cricket legend Virat Kohli, and actor Will Smith.
Team Brady's RaceBird, piloted by Wales' Sam Coleman and Finland's Emma Kimiläinen, saw off the challenge from Smith’s Westbrook Racing and singer Marc Anthony’s Team Miami to capture the world title.
“It feels amazing to win the first E1 World Championship,” Brady said.
“I’m proud of the team and what we’ve accomplished. Competition is exciting for us, and life is about making memories and relationships, and I think what we’ve established in terms of our teamwork has been one of the most gratifying parts.
“Our Team Principals Ben [King] and Joe [Sturdy] led the way and solved a lot of problems. I was able to witness the way they handled the different adversities that we were facing throughout the season, it was great to see.
“Obviously our two pilots, Sam and Emma, how they played off each other, their chemistry and the camaraderie of the whole team was on full display.”
In a highlight clip from Team Brady recapping the season, he says “Team Brady are the champions of the water – let’s go!”
Brady, who made $530 million during his legendary career in the NFL through contracts and endorsements, announced he was diving into the world of competitive boat racing last year.
E1, which is funded by Saudi Arabia‘s Public Investment Fund, was launched earlier this year in Jeddah.
"So excited to be joining the E1 World Championship and honored to be competing against some of the greatest athletes in the world,” Brady said on his Instagram page at the time.
“Throughout my career, I've always been synonymous with speed. That's just what the fans have come to expect.”
"The boats [better known as the RaceBird] look amazing," the retired NFL star said.
"[It reaches] 100 kilometers an hour, fully foiling. They're so very sleek and cool, modern, and exactly what you would think for an electric racing boat on water."
The E1 world championship comes after NFL team owners finally approved TB12’s bid to become a minority owner in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Brady also holds a stake in the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces and is a minority owner of Birmingham City, a soccer club in League One, the third tier of English football.
The Blues were relegated from the Championship at the end of last season but are flying high at the top of League One after twelve games this campaign.
The Raiders are the latest franchise to be added to the Brady portfolio, with the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB purchasing a ten percent stake in the team with business partner, Tom Wagner (five percent each).
The Silver and Black have been down on their luck in recent years and are in dire need of some Brady magic. They haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1984 and last made the playoffs in 2021, when they lost the Wild Card Round.
Brady, a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer being paid $375 million by FOX to be the lead NFL TV commentator for the network’s football coverage, will be hoping to bring his Midas touch to the Raiders.
Success largely follows the 47-year-old wherever he goes. He won six Super Bowls with New England and added another in Tampa Bay in 2021.
He’s universally regarded as the greatest quarterback ever, and is now well on his way to world domination as a multi-sport team owner.
