In 2023, a US court ordered former boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. to pay $2.4 million in damages to Zinni Media Concept Limited, a Nigerian media company, for breach of contract. With accumulated interest, the total is already approaching $3 million.
According to Alex Nwankwo, a media executive at Zinni Media, the company struck an arrangement with Mayweather in June 2017 to have him make numerous appearances across Africa, including one in Nigeria.
Mayweather was paid $210,000 for these appearances, but he never showed up and refused to return the advance.
In 2023, a Los Angeles court granted Zinni Media a $2.4 million judgment. In October 2023, a lower California court outlined the damages: $1,638,542 in principal, $721,881 in prejudgment interest, $16,270 in attorney fees, and $285 in expenses, for a total of $2,376,978.
Mayweather appealed, but it was denied. The court has authorized US attorneys to seek enforcement by pursuing Mayweather’s expensive vehicles, including a 2015 Bugatti Veyron and a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, both of which are worth more than the amount owing.
Nwankwo claimed that Mayweather’s legal team initially believed the boxer may evade compensation since Zinni Media is not headquartered in the United States.
“After multiple unsuccessful attempts to recover the appearance fees from Mayweather, we filed a lawsuit in 2018, alleging breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud. We appreciate that two courts have ruled in favour of Zinni Media Ltd,” he stated.
Mayweather has previously faced charges of unpaid bills. In 2024, Miami jeweler Leonard Sulaymanov sued Mayweather, saying he owed $3.9 million for high-end watches and jewelry, including a Patek Philippe 5980 and two Richard Mille 35-02s. The matter was settled outside of court.
In September, a Las Vegas car dealer sued Mayweather for a $1.2 million Mercedes Maybach G-Wagon, claiming it was never paid for. Mayweather later countersued the dealer for fraud, saying the vehicle was defective. Both lawsuits are still pending.
Business Insider also discovered three more incidents involving Mayweather and businessman Rechnitz in which they were accused of fraud or misrepresentation, including a cryptocurrency campaign purported to be a pump-and-dump scheme and an investor ticket resale issue.