After 11 years in prison, paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been released on parole.
The trial sent shock waves across the globe as he was found guilty for murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The runner was then sentenced at the time to serve 13 years and five months in prison by a South African court in 2016.
As he has been released early on parole, here is everything you need to know about the runner’s net worth.
Oscar Pistorius’ net worth before the trial
In 2013 as the world heard news of the trial, Oscar’s net worth was estimated to be $5 million.
At the time the runner received endorsements and sponsorships from the likes of Nike, BT, Thierry Mugler, sunglasses maker Oakley, and Ossur - the Icelandic firm that made his prosthetic carbon fiber blades. These sponsorships were reportedly worth more than $2 million a year at the time.
A week after the murder of his girlfriend, the runner was dropped by sponsors Nike and Oakley, with the former dropping his advert that featured the line: “I am the bullet in the chamber.”
© AnadoluYet as more sponsors dropped the runner, this didn’t seem to be a massive concern as he reportedly had other means of financial support. Oscar was apparently director of numerous companies, including some family businesses.
“His sponsorship revenues, although evidently worth a hefty sum of money, were not his sole means of support. Even without them, he’s unlikely to suffer financial deprivation”, Johannesburg based marketing and communications strategist Clive Simpkins told Forbes Africa.
The runner’s net worth as he is released from prison
© AnadoluThe former Olympian, also known as ‘Blade Runner’ will be released from prison to a net worth of $150,000 according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Even prior to his imprisonment, Blade Runner struggled financially as he went on trial. In 2014 his defense lawyers submitted that he was financially broke and could no longer pay his own legal defenses.
© Dan KitwoodWhat will Oscar Pistorius do now he's out of prison?
The athlete is believed to be at his uncle's mansion in Pretoria, where he moved upon release from jail. Authorities secretly moved him at an undisclosed time to avoid the news crews waiting outside the prison.
As he moves into his Uncle Arnold's three-storey property, Pistorius will reportedly live in a five-star cottage with panic alarms, a gatehouse and armed security.
His parole comes with strict conditions, including restrictions on when he can leave his home. He must also abstain from alcohol consumption and meet regularly with his parole officials at home and correctional service offices. He will face unannounced visits to where he lives to check on him as well.
What was Oscar Pistorius best known for?
Oscar Pistorius was best known as a South African sprinter; he was the tenth athlete to compete both in the Paralympics and the Olympics.
Both his feet were amputated when he was 11 months old following a congenital defect. Following a rugby injury when he was younger, the South African was introduced to running for rehabilitation and found a real affinity within the sport.
As a paralympian he achieved six gold medals, a silver and a bronze. With his reputation as a Paralympic champion, he then attempted to enter nondisabled international competitions, despite objections by the International Association of Athletics Federations, including protests that his artificial limbs might give him an unfair advantage.
Yet at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games on 4 August 2012, Pistorius became the debut amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games. While he didn’t win any medals, he was chosen to carry the flag for South Africa in the closing ceremony.
Why was the runner imprisoned?
In 2016 Pistorius was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steencamp.
The runner shot Reeva, whom he’d dated for “only three months”, in the early hours of the morning on Valentines Day 2013.
He claimed that he’d believed an intruder was in the house and “instant fear” drove him to grab his gun and shoot through the locked door of his bedroom toilet.
