High life
Fighting on
Taki
He is the single largest taxpayer in the United States, having earned more than fifty million dollars for approximately twenty-four hours of work during the last eight years. He is such a blatant show-off, however, that he refuses to become incorporated and get a measure of tax relief.
Through a capitalist ploy — commercial television — he's made more money in an hour than Henry Ford earns in five years, yet he praises the Russian way of life, 'there are no big shots there', describes that police state as 'a place in which hundreds of nationalities can live in safety and peace', and calls Leonid Brezhnev 'cute as ever.'
Although he scorns ostentation and preaches against materialism he owns a Chicago mansion, a sprawling woodland estate in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, and commercial property in Florida, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Kentucky. Plus three Rolls Royces, four Cadillacs, two Lincolns, an antique Oldsmobile and a 100,000 dollar camper. He is, needless to say, Muhammad Ali, ne Cassius Clay. And as of this writing he is also badly in need of cash. Where have the millions gone? Taxes, first but not foremost; his entourage and some pretty bad investments. Ali's 'costly' personality simply refuses tax shelters and spread out inland revenue payments. He is probably the only rich man on earth who pays his taxes immediately, sometimes twenty-four hours after a fight. 'It helps me to keep things clear in my head,' he is quoted as saying. For example, the day after the Leon Spinks fight, for which Ali received three million dollars for forty-five minutes work, one and a half million was earmarked for the government (the maximum tax on earned income is fifty per cent) and duly subtracted from his cheque.
Thirty-three and one third per cent of the rest went to Herbert Muhammad, his 'manager' and son of Elijah Muhammad, founder of the so called Black Muslim movement, of which Ali is a member.
The morning after the Spinks fight, his manager went to a bank and produced a late edition of the local newspaper which carried stories of the fight. Once satisfied that the fight had indeed taken place, the bank manager transferred the funds (already paid by the television network) to his account.
This left Ali with a cool million. But not for long. There are more than fifty mouths to feed, what with ex-wives, four children, eight drivers, three masseurs, five bodyguards, four cooks, two doctors, one trainer and about twenty 'friends' with less defined duties.
Ali's brother, Rahman Ali, is a close second to his manager in the rip-off stakes. A tough looking, brooding bully, he is a pussy cat inside the ring but a tiger — especially when surrounded with armed Black Muslims — outside of it. He gets paid for `drivin and jivin' according to his older brother. The most famous of the flunkies is Drew (Bundini) Brown, Ali's closest friend and known to millions of television viewers as the champ's corner man. He has a Mohican haircut in reverse and is Ali's favourite 'because of his ability and willingness to get slapped in public by his master.
Given the above facts it is not surprising that Ali, no* way past his peak, keeps on fighting. His entourage simply will not let him quit. And he cannot afford to keep them in the style they have become accustomed to if he stops. Nevertheless he will not end up, like poor old Joe Louis, living from hand-outs. The Black Muslims, which have made more than thirty million dollars from him, and countless more through shrewd investments (they pay no taxes as they are considered a church group) will probably give him a job one day. Like cleaning out their mosque. But maybe Ali Is no fool after all. Suspecting this kind of scenario he has put three million dollars away in certificates of deposit, and has forgotten to tell his manager.
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