Former boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been ordered to pay a Nigerian media company, Zinni Media Concept Limited, nearly $3 million following a breach of contract ruling.
In 2023, a U.S. court initially mandated a payment of $2.4 million in damages. However, with accrued interest, the total owed to Zinni Media has climbed to approximately $3 million.
The dispute stems from an agreement signed in June 2017, where Mayweather was contracted to make a series of appearances in Africa, including an event in Nigeria, according to Alex Nwankwo, a media executive at Zinni Media.
Despite receiving $210,000 for the appearances, Mayweather failed to show up and subsequently refused to return the advance payment.
“After multiple unsuccessful attempts to recover the appearance fees from Mayweather, we filed a lawsuit in 2018, alleging breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud. We appreciate that two courts have ruled in favor of Zinni Media Ltd,” he told Business Insider Africa.
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A Los Angeles court initially granted Zinni Media a judgment of $2.4 million in 2023. A more detailed breakdown of the damages, provided by a lower California court in October 2023, shows the total amount awarded was $2,376,978. This figure includes $1,638,542 in principal, $721,881 in prejudgment interest, $16,270 for attorney fees, and $285 in costs.
Floyd Mayweather lost his appeal, and the court denied his request. As a result, U.S. attorneys have been authorized to seize some of his luxury vehicles, including a 2015 Bugatti Veyron and a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, to enforce the judgment. These high-value assets are worth more than the amount he owes the Nigerian company for breaching the contract.
According to Nwankwo, Mayweather’s legal team initially proposed that the boxer might be able to evade the repayment obligation by claiming Zinni Media’s lack of a U.S. base.
Mayweather has a history of facing claims over unpaid debts. For instance, in 2024, Miami jeweler Leonard Sulaymanov initiated a legal action, alleging that Mayweather owed $3.9 million. The debt, which included high-value timepieces like a Patek Philippe 5980 and two Richard Mille 35-02s, was eventually settled through an out-of-court agreement.
Mayweather is currently involved in other legal disputes, including a pending case with a Las Vegas car dealer. In September, the dealer sued Mayweather, alleging that he had never paid for a $1.2 million Mercedes-Maybach G-Wagon. Mayweather filed a countersuit for fraud, claiming the vehicle was defective. Both lawsuits are still unresolved.
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Business Insider also identified three additional instances in which Mayweather and businessman Rechnitz faced accusations of fraud or misrepresentation. These included a cryptocurrency promotion alleged to be a pump-and-dump scheme and a disagreement over the resale of investor tickets.
Despite ongoing legal troubles, the 48-year-old former boxing champion, nicknamed “Money Mayweather,” continues to flaunt his wealth. He retired from his professional career in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record. His boxing earnings surpassed a billion dollars, positioning him as the 10th highest-paid athlete of all time, according to Sportico.
Since retiring from boxing, he has built a reputation as a prosperous businessman. His considerable wealth is evident in his collection of Bugatti sports cars, Richard Mille timepieces, Gucci apparel, and expensive real estate holdings, per the Business Insider.
More recently in 2025, the boxer posted a video on social media that showed him counting large stacks of $100 bills in the cabin of a private jet while also discussing the envy he attracts.
“Continue to hate,” Mayweather said in the September video as he piled the stacks of cash into a clear plastic bag. “You know, people only talk about winners. I’m a winner. So, continue to talk.”
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