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David Ortiz AKA “Big Papi” is a retired Major League Baseball player and future Hall of Famer who played 13 seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He helped Boston win three world series titles, won “Most Valuable Player” in 2013, and is widely considered to be one of the best designated hitters of all time. Ortiz has utilized his fame and the money he made from baseball to open several successful businesses and ink lucrative endorsement deals.
Ortiz is currently recovering in the hospital after being shot in the back on June 9 while out at the Dial Bar and Lounge on Santo Domingo Este in the Dominican Republic.
David Ortiz was rushed to Integral Medical Center in the Eastern Zone where he received initial treatment then transferred to the Abel Gonzalez clinic where he underwent a 6-hour surgery to save his life. According to Dominican journalist Dionisio Soldevila, Ortiz had parts of his intestines, colon, and gallbladder removed and is currently in the ICU “stable and recovering.”
His current net worth in 2019 is estimated to be at least $45M. Ortiz earned a total of $160,197,500 from his contracts with the Boston Red Sox and continues to use his celebrity and ties to the Red Sox to promote his businesses in the media.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He’s made $4.5M from Endorsements
David Ortiz is one of the most recognizable faces of Major League Baseball. During his career with the Boston Red Sox, he was a 10-time All-Star and helped lead the team to 3 World Series titles. He’s famous for his playoff heroics and coming up with big hits at the most crucial times.
During his playing days, his endorsement portfolio included deals with Dunkin’ Donuts, New Balance, and Marucci. After retiring, Ortiz’s stature has only grown. He’s inked deals with MasterCard, JetBlue, Coca-Cola, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Ortiz made a deal earlier this year with Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. to become their ambassador and appear in upcoming marketing campaigns. He’s also listed as the Brand Ambassador for the Boston Red Sox.
His endorsement deals are worth an estimated $4.5M show no signs of slowing down.
2. He Started His Own Winery
David Ortiz founded Arias Wines in 2017. He named the brand after his late mother, Angela Rosa Arias, who died in a car accident in 2002. The multi-colored label shows a silhouette of Ortiz’s hands pointing upward, a gesture he used to do after every home run to honor his late mother.
According to its website, Arias’ portfolio includes Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Christalan, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. The wines are priced from $19.99 – $29.99.
3. David Ortiz owns a club in the Dominican Republic
David Ortiz was briefly in the nightclub business back in 2010 when he opened the “Forty Forty” club in the Dominican Republic. The MLB slugger was sued by rapper Jay-Z for $5 million, who claimed the name was stolen from his “40/40” club in New York. The two settled out of court in 2010 for an undisclosed amount.
The website for Ortiz’s Forty Forty club (fortyforty.net) is currently down but judging from posts on its Facebook page the Santo Domingo nightspot is thriving.
It’s currently rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Facebook and Google.
4. He’s Produced Two Baseball Documentaries
David Ortiz started his own production company, “Big Papi Productions“, that specializes in non-scripted TV shows. Ortiz’s company has produces two documentaries so far, PBS American Masters Ted Williams: “The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived” and Walk-Off Series: From a Battle to a War.
Ted Williams is the franchise’s most legendary player and the “American Masters” film is a documentary about his life and career. “Walk-Off Series” is a show produced for YouTubeTV that chronicles the famous 2004 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox became the first team in history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit and went on to win the World Series.
There are currently no upcoming projects listed on the Big Papi Productions website or Ortiz’s IMDB.
5. He started his own line of healthy snacks and salsas
Hey New York @Yankees, thought you saw the last of @davidortiz? Think again. #BigPapisKitchen #HesBack 😈
David Ortiz started his own culinary line of chips and dips in 2017, Big Papi Kitchens. The website for the brand is currently down but according to their Twitter feed, they offer tortilla chips, salsa, and hummus across various convenience and grocery stores across the East Coast.
His brand partnered with Boloco back in 2017 to give out free burritos and raise money for Ortiz’s charity, the David Ortiz Children’s Fund.
Free burritos @boloco Copley Square! $5,000 can SAVE A CHILD’S LIFE. BPK burritos + donation = LIVES SAVED! We can do it!
The chips and dips from Big Papi Kitchens have been a hit in the Boston and New York markets.