At the time of her death, Althea Gibson, an American professional golfer and tennis player, had a net worth of $5 million.
The first black player to cross the color barrier in international tennis was Althea.
During the early ’60s, Gibson participated in the women’s professional golf tour, becoming the first black player to do so. During a time when racism and prejudice were rampant in sports and society, she was often compared to Jackie Robinson.
Gibson’s collection of five Wimbledon trophies is exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.