When it rains, it pours! Steve Smith's luck seems to have turned round drastically. After getting disgraced for his actions as a captain in sanctioning ball-tampering, he is back to his best. The back-to-back hundreds scored by the right-hander in the first Ashes Test have re-asserted his credentials as the world's best Test batsman. But it's not just on the field that the former captain is making a killing.
Recently, an investment of Aus $100,000 that he had made in a company called Koala Mattresses, led to a windfall profit as he earned Aus $12.1 million in return. The investment made by Smith was in return for a 10% stake in the company. This masterstroke by the man with 25 Test hundreds was played in 2015. Since then, the firm has grown exponentially to have more than 200,000 customers and a valuation of Aus $150 million.
As a result of this massive profit, Smith now has made more money from his stake in Koala than through his cricket-related deals. According to some media outlets, Smith makes Aus $2 million from his duties as an Aussie cricketer. To add to that, his IPL contract brings him an equally large sum.
The total valuation of Smith is bound to come to around Aus $31 million, according to estimates by agencies. This windfall gain from Koala Mattresses would also completely wipe out the loss that the 30-year old suffered due to the sandpaper-gate controversy. With him losing the opportunity to play for Australia for one year and also not being allowed into the IPL, the New South Welshman is estimated to have endured a loss of Aus $7 million.
But all the turmoil and embarrassment that the former captain had to face has been replaced by adulation and admiration in his home country after his good performances in the World Cup as well as the two brilliant knocks against England. All these emerged despite the extremely hostile reaction dished out by the English crowds continuously to him.
While many spectators brought sandpapers to the ground and have waved them at him and the other two players – David Warner and Cameron Bancroft – who were involved in the infamous saga, others have booed him relentlessly despite his superlative batting.
But the rest of the world seems to be warming up to him once again. During Australia's match vs India in the ICC 2019 World Cup, when some Indian fans targeted Smith, the captain of the Men in Blue, Virat Kohli, admonished them and asked for a show of respect towards his rival. Times have certainly changed for the fidgety run-machine of Australia.
