Maverick McNealy might become the richest golfer on the PGA Tour because of his background. The only golfer who is a billionaire is none other than Tiger Woods. McNealy is the first heir to his father, Scott McNealy’s $1 billion net worth. In 1982, McNealy’s father co-founded the technology giant Sun Microsystems, which was sold to the Oracle Corporation in 2010 for $7.4 billion.

So, McNealy did grow up in a 28,000-square-foot, $86 million Palo Alto mansion, which was listed for $100 million in 2021. But is he a billionaire? Surprisingly, no. McNealy might be the heir to his father’s legacy, but he still does not have it yet. And if you look at the money he earned on the PGA Tour, it comes out to be $10.824 million since he joined the league in 2020. That is far from being a billionaire. Additionally, as opposed to contrary belief, McNealy revealed that he didn’t have everything served to him on a plate.

His father was a billionaire, but he was always taught the importance of money. He recalled what his father once told him: “Most well-funded start-ups always fail, and that a short cash runway lights a fire under your rear that’s hard to emulate.” That’s why he learned to assess success by how much effort and commitment he had put in rather than the money he earned. While his father was teaching these things, his mother was the strict one. Her mantra was, “Good grades, good attitude, good effort,” or else she would take away McNealy’s golf and hockey gear.

Despite being born with money, McNealy expressed that he was never given an allowance and said, “My dad would’ve made me pay rent to live at home after school—I’m not kidding!” So life has not been that easy for McNealy either. He may not be a billionaire, but he surely has a hobby like one.

What does Maverick McNealy do outside of golf?

In the 2023 season, Maverick McNealy had to sit idle without playing any golf as his ligament connecting the collarbone to the sternum was torn. So, he could not play hockey or golf, and that’s when he decided to start flying. Just like Arnold Palmer did! In those five months of hiatus, McNealy went ahead and got his pilot’s license and his instrument rating and started flying his private jet.

He has been polite since then, but the 29-year-old does not fly around as much as Palmer did. Although he loves it, McNealy doesn’t want it to become a stressful hobby and takes it up from time to time. Golf already has been a bit stressful, and being a pilot, “is a fun release away from golf,” said McNealy. Flying around even helped McNealy to better golf because it required mental strength to make better decisions, and being a pilot surely aided him.

The 29-year-old has been trying to get his maiden on the PGA Tour for years now. But he seems to miss it every time. McNealy has been pretty consistent in the 2024 season, with eleven top-25 finishes and making the cut in 21 of the 24 events he played. Before the season ends, he would surely want to add a trophy to his resume.