HOW KING OF SPIN SHANE WARNE IS STILL CASHING IN ON HIS CRICKET CAREER A DECADE AFTER HANGING UP HIS BAGGY GREEN
It is nearly 10 years since Shane Warne retired from international cricket - but time off the field has done nothing to dent his earnings.
My detailed analysis of Warne's finances shows that the leg-spinning great remains Australian sport's $6"million-a-year man. 
Despite recent adverse publicity about his eponymous charity, Warne is understood to have made $5.95 million from his various endorsements and other financial ventures.
Why? Top celebrity agent Sean Anderson says Warne "has captured the public imagination, full stop".
"He's been very clever," he says. "He's always changing. He's always giving you something to write about. At the core though, he's a champion cricketer and no one can take that away from him." There could be greater riches ahead. With a boost from potentially lucrative new ventures, 2016 could see Warne's earnings rise even higher.
A big windfall this year comes from his high-profile appearance on the Ten's "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!". Warne is guaranteed $2"million, whether voted off quickly or winning.
"I'm a Celebrity" has revealed plenty on Warne's attitude to wealth. He told his fellow campers: "Whatever it is, I want more â€¦ I just want more cars, more money and more houses." He has owned several houses in the ritzy Melbourne bayside suburb of Brighton. The most opulent was his William St, Brighton property - complete with 20-car garage and a swimming pool emblazoned with his playing number, 23 - sold for $10.85m in 2013.
He moved to other digs in Brighton 18 months ago for just under $4 million. His property portfolio has also hit England at various points- but he has now sold out of Donnington Hall, the 13-bedroom Georgian country mansion he bought with ex-fiancee Liz Hurley for $9.4m in 2012, after their split. Hurley bought out Warne's share.
Warne doesn't have to work hard on the car front - with seemingly endless free Mercedes Benzes and Jaguars made available for his use.
Part of the reason is his massive social media presence, including 2.6 million Twitter followers and 291,000 on Instagram. There are "thank yous" and free plugs peppering his Instagram page for various dealers and car companies.
In 2015, a big boost to Warne's earnings came from his new move into cricket entrepreneurship in the US.
He joined forces with Sachin Tendulkar and an Indian backer to launch a three-game, T20 All Stars series in New York, LA and Houston, with legends like Curtly Ambrose and Brian Lara playing. The series made big money: and Warne made $500,000, with the likelihood it will come back bigger this year.
There were "ambassador" roles: with Advanced Hair, William Hill, Etihad, 888 Poker and Dafabet - although the William Hill and 888 sponsorships ended at the close of 2015.
There was an ad campaign for Marshall batteries, royalties from 99 Not Out beer and corporate speaking gigs. His professional poker around the world is not a big money-spinner, despite a $23,000 payout from one tournament last year. His biggest regular earner has been commentary gigs: on Nine in Australia, Asia's Star Sports and on the UK's Sky Channel.
Why does Warne inspire such lucrative loyalty from sponsors? Anderson says his larrikin personality only accentuates his legendary on-field record: "He makes outlandish statements, and gets into crazy relationships, but he's also a family man. He's a cheeky Aussie, and people just want to talk about him."He's probably got 90 per cent of the budget of I'm a Celebrity, but he's worth every cent."