Last updated: August 2026
| Net Worth | Not reliably documented |
| Born | July 7, 1921 — Died May 28, 1975 |
| Profession | Professional Boxer (Former Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion) |
| Nationality | 🇺🇸 American |
Ezzard Charles was an American professional boxer and undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1950 to 1951. No reliable net worth figure exists for Charles; boxing purses in his era were modest compared to modern sports earnings, and historical accounts indicate he faced significant financial hardship in his later years.
Early Life & Family
Ezzard Mack Charles was born on July 7, 1921, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He took up amateur boxing as a young man and won the National AAU middleweight championship in 1939 before turning professional.
Rise to Fame
Charles built his early professional reputation in the light heavyweight division through the 1940s, fighting Hall of Fame opponents across three weight classes. He won the Inter-Allied light heavyweight championship in 1944 while serving during World War II.
Career History
In 1949, Charles became NBA heavyweight champion by defeating Jersey Joe Walcott. In 1950, he defeated an aging Joe Louis to add the NYSAC and The Ring heavyweight titles, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and Fighter of the Year in both 1949 and 1950. He lost his title back to Walcott in 1951. Charles is remembered as the only fighter to last the full 15-round distance against an undefeated Rocky Marciano, in a pair of fights in 1954 and 1955. He retired in 1959 with a career record of 95 wins, 25 losses, and 1 draw, including 52 knockouts, across 121 professional fights.
How They Built Their Wealth
Charles earned his income from fight purses during an era when even world heavyweight champions were paid far less than modern boxers, and much of a fighter’s purse in that period went to managers, promoters, and training expenses. Historical accounts describe Charles facing serious financial difficulty later in life.
Personal Life
Away from the ring, Charles spoke fluent Italian and was known as a jazz enthusiast. In 1968 he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which left him completely disabled; fellow boxing figures organized fundraisers to support him during his illness. He died from complications of ALS in Chicago on May 28, 1975, at age 53, and was buried at Burr Oak Cemetery in Illinois.
Despite his standing as one of boxing’s greatest champions, no verified net worth figure survives for Ezzard Charles, whose later years were marked by illness and financial hardship rather than the wealth associated with modern world champions.