Kriti Mehrotra
Although born on March 5, 1951, to Mary Frances Ackerman and William “Bill” Veeck Jr. as their eldest of six, Michael “Mike” Veeck essentially grew up a happy middle child in a blended brood of nine. However, arguably, the most intriguing aspect of his familial life is the fact he not only hails from a line of baseball legends but also ultimately evolved into one despite initially wanting not to.
How Did Mike Veeck Earn His Money?
It was reportedly back in 1975 when Mike got his big break in sports following his father’s decision to buy the Chicago White Sox with the help of some “hustling,” just for it to initially not be appreciated. The truth is Bill wasn’t wealthy in any way, shape, or form, which is what resulted in his rock band drummer son evolving into de facto Promotions Head for this entire Major League Baseball club. That’s when things turned upside down as the youngster quickly proved his dedication by coming up with some incredibly brilliant and creative publicity stunts to attract a bigger audience.
In other words, Mike was doing great, that is, until the infamous Disco Demolition Night in July 1979 — this event started as a gimmick yet soon turned dangerous owing to some rowdy partakers. He thus almost immediately apologized and took responsibility for the fiasco, but it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy purists because his father was still compelled to sell the team a year later. While Bill never again dabbled in this line of work owing to his age as well as the heartbreak of these events before eventually passing at 71 on January 2, 1986, his son was practically blacklisted.
“I had a lot of job offers after I left White Sox,” Mike conceded in the original movie. “People who like riots, you know, soccer teams. I had definitely been pigeonholed, but no interest in baseball… My life was a wreck.” He’d admittedly tried to fill the void in his heart with alcohol, gambled away his entire savings on the game of jai alai, started an advertising agency, and explored a few substances, only to have a heart attack. His first marriage also failed with him losing custody of their son, but then he found his second wife, welcomed a daughter, and suddenly had independent league baseball — he co-established St. Paul Saints in 1993.
As a sales, marketing, and promotions specialist, Mike was able to create an environment of pure enjoyment where everything goes, which actually ensured his club’s transformation into a phenomenon. This subsequently resulted in him landing executive positions in the major league again, including for the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, as well as Tampa Bay Rays, yet neither worked out in the long run. This Hall of Famer’s son plus undeniably proud family man hence stuck to minor/independent clubs, but it’s imperative to note he did sell off the Minnesota-based St. Paul Saints in early 2023.
Nevertheless, according to reports, Mike remains a prominent part of the baseball industry as a promoter and co-owner of maybe five more minor/independent league clubs. Apart from all this, he is also a restauranter, public speaker, and author — he penned ‘Fun Is Good: How to Create Joy and Passion in Your Workplace and Career’ in 2005, plus ‘Another Boring, Derivative, Piece of Crap Business Book’ in 2014. Moreover, he has since established Fun is Good, an organization that offers workshops, seminars, and lessons to help businesses build more favorable conditions for employees to increase overall productivity as well as engagement.
Mike Veeck’s Net Worth
Considering the many ups and downs Mike Veeck has endured over his 5-decade-long yet still ongoing career, it’s undeniable he has earned his name, fame, and standing as a baseball legend. Nevertheless, because his priority has always been entertainment, relationships, sentiments, or second chances instead of profits, his accumulated wealth doesn’t appear to be as high as you’d expect. In fact, as per our best estimates upon taking into consideration his enterprises, minor clubs, major positions, royalties as an author, as well as compensation for public engagements, Mike’s net worth is close to $10 million as of writing.
Read More: Are Mike and Libby Veeck Still Together?
