How did Danica Patrick make her money? A look into her storied career and business ventures

Danica Patrick has pocketed a generous sum of money between her racing career, sporadic broadcasting appearances, and other business ventures. The former Cup Series star is worth $80 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Patrick competed in NASCAR from 2010-2017, spending her first three years in the Xfinity Series and the latter five in the Cup Series. She raced part-time for Jr. Motorsports in 2010-2011 behind the wheel of the #7 car. The Wisconsin native was then promoted to full-time in 2012. That same year, Patrick ran a part-time Cup Series slate for Stewart-Haas Racing behind the wheel of the #10 car. In 2013, Patrick left the Xfinity Series and raced Cup full time from 2013-2017.

According to racingreference.com, Patrick bagged over $14 million in race earnings from 2010-2015, earning over $12 million in the Cup Series and $3 million in the Xfinity Series. However, Patrick's race earnings from 2016-2018 aren't reported.

Patrick raked in money from her sponsorships over her racing career along with her salary. Go Daddy, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, and Nationwide Insurance were a few of Patrick's major sponsors. According to Fan Buzz, Patrick was ranked the seventh richest driver in NASCAR at over $12 million.

Off the track, Patrick has made money in the publishing industry. She's a two-time author. Her first book, Danica: Crossing the Line, was released in 2006; it detailed her racing upbringing and the beginning of her IndyCar Series career. In 2017, Patrick released her second book, Pretty Intense, which focuses on health and wellness. The former Cup Series driver then picked up Pretty Intense as a name for her weekly podcast.

Patrick also owns a vineyard called Somnium: Latin for "dream." She purchased the vineyard in California in 2009. In 2021, Patrick launched her wine label called "Danica Rose" in France. She also has her candle brand, VOYANT, which is a home scent collection.

Patrick has also made sporadic appearances as a racing broadcaster. She helped broadcast the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in 2021 for Sky Sports. The 42-year-old called the Superstar Racing Experience on CBS a handful of times and has also made appearances in NASCAR on FOX and for NBC Sports in its coverage of the Indianapolis 500.

Danica Patrick on her political journey

Like her outside business ventures, Danica Patrick has been up to a lot since stepping away from motorsports competition. An avid supporter of the 45th President of the United States and current President-elect Donald Trump, Patrick has also delved into politics.

In an Instagram post last month, Patrick explained how an interview with politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr. kicked off her interest in politics.

"Exactly one year ago today I interviewed @robertfkennedyjr in Las Vegas during the f1 weekend, which was my first ever public conversation about politics. I guess you could say the rest in history based on the first photo I posted. The rest is a time line from that interview until Election Day," Patrick wrote.

In the leadup to the 2024 Election Day, Patrick expressed her support for Trump and spoke at a few of his rallies. Trump defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris to become the 47th President of the U.S.