Australian professional surfer Michael Eugene Fanning AO won the World Tour of the Association of Surfing Professionals/World Surf League (ASP/WSL) in 2007, 2009, and 2013. During the J-Bay Open finals in Jeffreys Bay in 2015, he survived a shark attack that is thought to have been carried out by a great white shark. Fanning was born to Irish parents in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. When his family relocated to Tweed Heads, New South Wales, when he was twelve, he began to focus on surfing. He began learning to surf at the age of three at Brown Bay, near Mount Gambier.
Joel Parkinson, a fellow professional surfer, and he went to Palm Beach Currumbin State High School together. They both grew up in the Gold Coast/Northern Rivers area. Fanning was able to surf both north and south of the Queensland border, where he started to gain recognition. By coming in third place in the 1996 attack, based on film analysis and the fact that the shark did not bite, some marine biologists believe the shark did not intend to bite Fanning. The International Shark Attack File, however, has classified the experience as a shark attack because there was physical contact between the shark and his board, and the shark cut the leash.
By shooing the shark away with a boat and picking up both Fanning and Wilson, who were still in the water nearby, a response team immediately saved him from any further harm. Both surfers made it out of the incident unscathed, and they shared the victory and the prize money. Wilson delivered an emotional interview after the incident. The story was covered by news outlets worldwide. Fanning surfed Ship Stern Bluff on August 27, a break famed for great white sharks, and did so less than a week later, dedicating it to his late brother. Later, Fanning participated in the Billabong Pro Teahupoo, which was held in Tahiti in August 2015. After winning the Hurley Pro at Trestles Beach, Fanning finished the year in second place in the rankings.
Fanning and businesswoman Karissa Dalton were married for eight years. He announced their divorce on January 31, 2016. The Balter Brewing Company was co-owned by Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Josh Kerr, and Bede Durbidge until the business was sold to Carlton and United Breweries. Fanning invests in Scratch, an Australian manufacturer of dog food. The Penrith Panthers of the National Rugby League are supported by Fanning. As a professional surfer competing at the national and international levels and as a supporter of numerous philanthropic organizations, Fanning was named an officer of the Order of Australia.
According to the newspaper, the majority of his income is unrelated to his surfing prowess; towards the conclusion of his career, he had amassed a total of $2.76 million in prize money. His investment in Australian craft brewing company Balter, which was sold in 2019 for anywhere between $150 million and $200 million, was his most notable business achievement. When Carlton United Breweries purchased the company, he received a $4 million windfall as a result of his investment. The corporate empire Mick Fanning has quietly built exceeds the millions of dollars he made competing in the water. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the 41-year-old spoke up about the wise choices that have made him into a business whiz and disclosed specifics of his unexpected wealth. The three-time world champion unexpectedly returned to competitive swimming in April when he took part in the Bells Beach Classic, but he has been working on much more significant projects outside of his surfing career. He is one of Australia’s most successful post-retirement business athletes, with a current estimated net worth of $20 million.
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