What is Jenson Button's net worth and salary?
Jenson Button is a British Formula One driver who has a net worth of $150 million. Jenson Button has driven for Williams, Benetton, Renault, BAR, Honda, Brawn GP, and McLaren. He drove for McLaren from 2010 to 2017 when he retired from Formula One, and he currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing with support from Stewart-Haas Racing and sponsorship from Mobil 1. Jenson Button's yearly salary with McLaren was $16.5 million.
Early Life
Jenson Alexander Lyons Button was born on January 19, 1980, in Frome, Somerset, England. Button began kart racing at the age of eight and achieved early success before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British Formula Three Championship.
Racing Career
Jenson Button first drove in Formula One with Williams F1 for the 2000 season. The following year he switched to Benetton, which in 2002 became Renault, and for the 2003 season he moved to BAR. In 2004, he finished 3rd in the World Drivers' Championship. In the 2006 season, Button won his first Grand Prix in Hungary, after 113 races. In 2009, Button won the World Drivers' Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix, a success which helped Brawn GP secure the World Constructors' Championship.
In 2010, he moved to McLaren, partnering with fellow British racer and former World Champion Lewis Hamilton. After finishing fifth for the team in 2010, Button went on to finish the 2011 season as runner-up. In 2012, he took his 1st pole for McLaren in Belgium. Button won 15 out of the 258 races he started, with a total of 50 podium finishes. Button was named one of the Men of the Year in both 2009 and 2011 by Top Gear. His final Formula One race was the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix. Out of 306 race starts, Jenson won 15 and had 50 podium finishes.
Button was invited to the Race of Champions six times: in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017. While motor racing was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Jenson participated in eSports races. In January 2021, he launched JBXE to compete in the all-electric SUV off-roading racing series, Extreme E. He also ran three NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023 for Rick Ware Racing in the No. 15 car, including the 2023 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix where he finished 18th. Button finished 21st at Chicago Street Course and 28th at Indy.
Button was known for having a very smooth driving style, his steering and throttle movements in particular tending to be graceful and beautifully coordinated. These attributes lent themselves toward helping him perform well in tricky conditions, such as during his maiden win in the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. Many believe his smooth style helps him better conserve his tires under race conditions. However, his smooth style can also mean he struggles to generate the necessary tire temperature on cool days on undemanding tracks. Coupled with his driving style, Button demonstrates intelligent race decisions time and again.
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Personal Life
Button was engaged to English actress and singer Louise Griffiths before ending their five-year relationship in 2005. Jenson was married to long-time Japanese girlfriend and model Jessica Michibata from 2014 to 2015. In 2022, he married American model Brittny Ward, and they have a son and daughter together.
In August 2015, Button and then-wife Jessica had more than $375k worth of belongings stolen from them, including his wife's $300k engagement ring when their rented Saint-Tropez home was burglarized.
Button's other hobbies include mountain biking, bodyboarding, and competing in triathlons. He maintains an automobile collection and is a fan of the Bristol City Football Club.
Real Estate
In 2017, Jenson paid $6.1 million for a home in LA's Brentwood neighborhood. He sold his home two years later for a slight profit.
In 2019, Jenson paid just under $9 million for a mid-construction mansion in Bel-Air, Los Angeles. He listed the home for sale in August 2020 for $10.5 million. The home sold in October 2021 for $8.9 million.
In May 2020, Jenson paid a bit under $1 million for a home in Palm Springs, California. After a major renovation, he flipped it early 2022 for $3.55 million. In September 2021 Jenson bought another property in Palm Springs. He listed this property for sale in November 2023 for $2.3 million. Also in 2021, Jenson paid $3.7 million for a home in Calabasas, California. He performed a full renovation on the property before listing it in January 2024 for $8 million.
In March 2022, Jenson paid $5.8 million for a home in Santa Monica, California. In April 2024, Jenson paid $6.2 million for a home in Agoura Hills, California.
