Where the money comes from
| TOP 500 rank | 313th among the 500 richest Lithuanians Delfi |
Arvydas Sabonis is one of the greatest European basketball players ever. The 2.21-metre centre won Olympic gold with the Soviet Union in 1988 and bronze with Lithuania in 1992 and 1996, won the Euroscar six times and starred in Spain. The Portland Trail Blazers drafted him in 1986, but he only reached the NBA in 1995, at 30, and played seven seasons there. He is in both the FIBA and Naismith Halls of Fame.
The TOP 500 magazine's December 2025 ranking of the richest Lithuanians puts him 313th with €25 million, about $28 million at the October 23, 2026 exchange rate. His son Domantas is far richer, at €120 million.
How he made his money
Sabonis played most of his peak years before European stars could earn NBA money, and when he did join Portland the league's salaries were a fraction of today's. That is why his fortune is so much smaller than his son's.
The TOP 500 figure is the magazine's estimate, with no breakdown of where the money is.
Career at a glance
Sabonis was famous for combining a giant's size with a guard's passing. Many of his best years were lost to injuries and to the Soviet rules that kept him from the NBA in the 1980s.
After retiring he led the Lithuanian Basketball Federation from 2011, and he is in both the FIBA Hall of Fame (2010) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2011).
About this estimate
The TOP 500 magazine publishes a yearly ranking of the 500 richest people in Lithuania. Its December 2025 edition, reported by Delfi on December 24, 2025, included a group of athletes led by Jonas Valančiūnas and Domantas Sabonis, plus older stars such as Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Arvydas Sabonis.
The figures are the magazine's own estimates, rounded to the nearest million euros. We show them as published, with a rough dollar conversion.
Career and money timeline
- 1986
Is drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers but cannot leave the Soviet Union to play.
- 1988
Wins Olympic gold for the Soviet Union in Seoul.
- 1992
Wins Olympic bronze for an independent Lithuania, and again in 1996.
- 1995
Makes his NBA debut with Portland at 30.
- 2011
Is inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and becomes president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation.
- 2025
The TOP 500 magazine puts his fortune at €25 million, 313th in Lithuania.
Arvydas Sabonis net worth FAQ
What is Arvydas Sabonis's net worth?
The TOP 500 magazine estimated in December 2025 that Arvydas Sabonis is worth €25 million. That is the most recent published estimate from the TOP 500 magazine that we could find; we do not update it ourselves.
Where do these numbers come from?
The net worth figure is the TOP 500 magazine's own published estimate, linked with its date at the top of the page. Every figure on this page is linked to its source below.
Why did Arvydas Sabonis join the NBA so late?
Portland drafted him in 1986, but he was not allowed to leave the Soviet Union, and after that he played in Spain. He made his NBA debut in 1995, at the age of 30.
Sources
- Delfi, Paskelbtas turtingiausių lietuvių sąrašas: jame ir sporto elitas (TOP 500 magazine list) (December 24, 2025)
- Vakarų ekspresas, Paskelbtas turtingiausių lietuvių sąrašas: jame yra ir sporto elitas (cross-check) (December 25, 2025)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Arvydas Sabonis (accessed October 24, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for money figures.
Photo: Steve Lipofsky www.Basketballphoto.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page comes from the named source next to it. Totals and percentages are simple sums of those published figures. We never fill in missing years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.