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Ayre first became a billionaire through Bodog, the online gambling business he launched in 2000. His profile increased as online gambling rose in popularity. After many years in the industry, as well as some serious legal trouble, Ayre became passionate about Bitcoin and pivoted his focus to the crypto industry.
In this post, we will tell you how Calvin Ayre revolutionized internet gambling, made a fortune, and how he uses that fortune today.
Breaking Down Calvin Ayre’s Net Worth in 2025
In February 2006, Forbes Magazine recognized Calvin Ayre as a billionaire. The sale of Bodog’s U.S. operations to Morris Mohawk Gaming Group occurred later that same year when he retired from the online gambling business. This would mean that, in 2006, Ayre was worth at least $2 billion.
Since then, Ayre has significantly expanded his wealth and business portfolio. He has made substantial investments in crypto, though the exact details of these holdings remain undisclosed.
Additionally, through his conglomerate, the Ayre Group, Ayre has ventured into various industries – making even more investments and with it, more profits.
Given his ongoing ventures and investments, it is likely that his net worth today far exceeds $2 billion (his net worth in 2006). Below, you will find a breakdown of Ayre’s major assets and contributions to his net worth.
| Asset or Income Source | Contribution to Net Worth |
|---|---|
| Initial investment in Bodog | $10,000 |
| Net worth in 2006 | $1+ billion |
| Profits from Bodog (US-facing) sale | $1 billion |
| Other Bodog earnings | Undisclosed |
| 2017 fine | -$500,000 |
| Crypto holdings | Undisclosed |
| Investments in blockchain firms | Undisclosed |
| Nikki Beach Resort and Spa Antigua investment | $400 million (partnership) |
| Canada Place office complex | $40 million |
| Conference retreat center | $40 million |
| Total Net Worth | $2+ billion |
Calvin Ayre Net Worth: Early Life and Education
Calvin Edward Ayre was born on May 25, 1961, in rural Canada on a farm outside Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. On the farm, his parents worked as grain and pig farmers.
Ayre studied at Salmon Arm in British Columbia. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Waterloo, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in general sciences in 1984. In 1989, he obtained his MBA degree in management finance from the City University of Seattle.
Calvin Ayre’s Versatile Career and Success
Calvin Ayre has had a truly versatile – not to mention highly profitable – career in multiple industries. He started his journey by founding a software support firm specializing in online gambling. Today, he is entirely focused on blockchain and his groundbreaking BSV Blockchain. Let’s see how his career changed over time.
Early Career
Even as a child, Ayre was interested in gambling. He placed his first bet during his teenage years when he played blackjack for pennies with his mates on trips across the Canadian tundra. By the time he studied at the University of Waterloo, he was already betting on sports, says Forbes.
According to his biography on the Ayre Group website, Calvin launched his first business fresh out of high school. He was renting a truck and running fresh fruit from British Columbia orchards un to the northern communities.
In 1990, Ayre started working as president of Bicer Medical Systems, a B.C. heart-valve maker in Vancouver. The company was underfinanced, and Ayre got into trouble when he sold 300,000 Bicer shares without releasing a prospectus. He started moving millions of shares between accounts (including his own) and didn’t file insider trading reports.
“I knew I wasn’t following all the rules,” – reports Forbes. “But, I also knew I had to do it to keep the budget alive.”
Ayre was never charged for his early crimes. In 1996, he settled for a $10,000 fine and a 20-year prohibition from running a company on the Vancouver Stock Exchange.
The Birth of Bodog
Using Cisco System manuals, Ayre taught himself network design. He used his newly founded skills to transform his Vancouver-based tech incubator into a software support firm that specializes in online gambling. He initially tried launching other Web-based ventures, including a voice-over-IP company, but with no success.
In 1992, Calvin Ayre came across a newspaper article about a Caribbean-based company that offered betting services over the phone. The story was about Ronald (the Cigar) Sacco, a bookie who had set up an offshore betting operation in the Dominican Republic to avoid felony charges in the United States. He immediately saw the potential of gambling, thinking that this would be a perfect fit for the emerging internet landscape.
The venture ultimately evolved into Bodog, the firm that would make Calvin Ayre a billionaire.
Initially, Ayre licensed his software to online casinos. Soon enough, he recognized that real profits lay in running his own operations. So, by 1996, he had established his own gambling business in Costa Rica, laying the foundation for what would become Bodog.com in 2000. In Costa Rica, he helped launch some of the first online casinos, such as WinSports and GrandPrix, but for other bookmakers.
Online gambling thrived in the mid-2000s, so Calvin Ayre’s profile skyrocketed alongside it. In 2006, he appeared on the cover of Forbes’ Billionaires edition. A year later, he was featured in Star magazine’s “Most Eligible Billionaire Bachelors” list, confirming his billionaire status.
Ayre didn’t just build Bodog from scratch – he also became its public face. He crafted an image of a high-rolling entrepreneur, hosting lavish parties in Costa Rica and Antigua, often surrounded by “Bodog girls” and security guards. He blazed the path that many social media influencers, such as Dan Bilzerian or Andrew Tate, follow to the letter decades later.
The media started portraying him as a playboy businessman, and Ayre certainly didn’t disagree. He enjoyed yachts, hung out with celebrities, and lived quite a luxurious lifestyle. Ayre shared that this wasn’t just for show – he lived about 80% of the lifestyle he promoted.
In an interview with The Register, Calvin Ayre shared that he started Bodog Entertainment Group with only $10,000.
To generate buzz, Ayre created the fictional “Cole Turner,” an adventurer-style persona for Bodog. He convinced a gambling tabloid to publish wild stories about Turner, including a fake expedition in Cambodia where he battled Buddhist terrorists, got captured, and escaped after a knife fight. He wrote the entire saga on a flight back to Costa Rica and released it during college bowl season.
The stunt worked. Bettors called Bodog worried about Turner’s fate. But by 2004, Ayre grew tired of maintaining the act, especially after he was quoted as Turner in Cigar Aficionado. He dropped the alias, but his marketing stunts continued – from handing out thong underwear as business cards to joking that he lost Bodog to Richard Branson in a drunken poker game.
The Incredible Success of Bodog
Bodog experienced staggering growth in its first few years, reaching $7.3 billion in turnover and $210 million in revenue by 2005. As the brand grew, so did Ayre’s fame. He appeared on MTV Cribs, VH1’s Fabulous Life Of…, ABC Nightline, and Extra.
Inspired by Richard Branson, Ayre expanded Bodog beyond gambling. He launched the Bodog Music record label and Bodog Fight, an MMA promotion.
His Bodog Music record label led to the Bodog Music Battle of the Bands TV series, featured on Fuse TV. In the series, celebrity judges travelled across America to find the best unsigned bands.
Furthermore, Ayre organized the Bodogconference.com in Las Vegas for sports handicappers, inviting National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana as a special guest. The conference became an annual event.
Ayre also launched Calvin Ayre WildCard Poker, a televised poker series. The series featured pro and celebrity players who faced off against online qualifiers and was available on Fox Sports Net. In March 2006, when they were filming party scenes for the finale of the show’s first season, Ayre’s compound in San Jose was raided by around 100 police officers who thought illegal gambling was taking place at the event. Ayre used this media spotlight to promote his series – and his brand.
Ayre turned Bodog.com into a broad-based digital entertainment brand. “Since its inception, Bodog.com has modeled its business around the idea of creating an all-encompassing digital entertainment brand. Music, television, publishing, and online gaming have certain synergies that, when combined, can form an all-encompassing entertainment experience, and these are only a few of the strategies that we have employed to get us to the point where we are,” explained Ayre in the Register interview.
After the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, Bodog withdrew from the U.S. market, licensing its brand to Morris Mohawk Gaming Group until 2011. The deal was reportedly worth $1 billion. He was known for skirting the ever-changing gambling laws, famously sharing that his business couldn’t be legally classified as gambling in any single country. Forbes Magazine published an article titled “Catch Me If You Can,” sharing their interview with Calvin Ayre from his poolside office in his new $3.5 million compound in Costa Rica.
Here is a 2011 interview with Ayre, where he is talking about how he became an internet billionaire:
Ayre’s Shift from Online Gambling to High-End Development
After the U.S. cracked down on online gambling, Calvin Ayre decided to sell his Bodog U.S.-facing operations but kept the rights to the brand. Shortly after, he announced his retirement from the industry.
After he retired from his gambling business, Ayre turned his focus to real estate and economic development in Antigua, a small island in the Caribbean. In 2019, he opened Canada Place, a $40 million, five-story office complex in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua, designed for up to 600 employees. In 2023, he built a $40 million conference retreat center on the island.
In 2018, Ayre announced his plans to build a $100 million five-star resort on Valley Church beach in Antigua, claiming that his project would be entirely funded by his profits from trading Bitcoin.
Ayre’s resort plans have evolved into a much more ambitious project in recent years. In collaboration with Nikki Beach Hospitality Group, Ayre Group is developing a $400 million luxury development called the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa, located at Jolly Beach. The resort is expected to open its doors in 2028 as a premier destination in the Caribbean.
The CalvinAyre.com Gambling News Website
In 2009, when Calvin Ayre had relinquished his active roles in online gambling for several years, he decided to launch a gambling news website. He found the coverage of dominating news sites at the time to be too differential and wanted to fix the situation.
“I didn’t invent online gambling, but I saw its potential early enough to help shape the industry in ways that allowed it to emerge from the shadows into the mainstream.” – Calvin Ayre announced on the news website.
In 2013, after finishing the EiG coverage for CalvinAyre.com, Ayre said to his producer and camera operator: “I think my calling is Bitcoin.” The team had already covered several Bitcoin events that same year, including Le Web and Bitcoin London.
Calvin Ayre first discovered Bitcoin in the cryptocurrency’s early days. On his website, he shared that he immediately saw its potential in the iGaming industry, but he didn’t know how significant Bitcoin would become for him as a professional.
Fast forward to February 2021, and Ayre decided that it was time for CalvinAyre.com to “hang up its hat.” He moved over to Coingeek.com full-time, planning to raise awareness of BitcoinSV (BSV) within the gaming industry.
Calvin Ayre’s Legal Trouble – and Resolution
In 2012, United States authorities indicted Calvin Ayre and three others for illegal gambling and money laundering tied to activities before the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Ayre called the charges a misuse of the U.S. legal system to benefit large American companies. At the time, the government also seized the dormant Bodog.com domain.
By 2017, most charges were dropped. Ayre pleaded guilty to a minor offense – being an accessory after the fact related to the transmission of gambling information. He was fined $500,000 and sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation. The Bodog.com domain was also returned, along with a $100,000 settlement.
The Antigua and Barbuda government backed Calvin Ayre, calling him a victim of unfair U.S. actions and highlighting that prosecutions like this went against WTO rules.
In September 2020, a tweet from the famed podcaster Peter McCormack created a stir within the Bitcoin community. In the tweet, McCormack called out Gary Vaynerchuk, the popular crypto and NFT influencer, questioning whether he understood what he was getting involved in when it came to Bitcoin.
McCormack specifically referred to Calvin Ayre, suggesting that Vaynerchuk should check Ayre’s criminal record and his controversial past. His message was clear: he was pointing out the involvement of people like Ayre in crypto projects and questioning their legitimacy, specifically BSV.
In response, Ayre dismissed the accusations. In his comment, he said:
“Peter McCormack is deeply involved in a massive criminal enterprise that is threatened by the technology of Dr Craig Wright and this is all about censorship. He is also currently in court with Dr Wright in the UK related to this matter, and this entire thread will now be evidence.”
i am 100% having my team do as we speak – reviewing tongith
— Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) September 21, 2020
What is Calvin Ayre Doing Today?
Ayre resides in Antigua, where he manages the activities of his conglomerate Ayre Group, as well as his foundation. Ayre Group is a diversified business conglomerate founded by Calvin Ayre. The group is currently involved in several sectors, including technology, cryptocurrency, real estate, entertainment, and hospitality.
Ayre founded the business in 2000, initially with a focus on the online gaming industry. Over time, he expanded his interest into other sectors, which led to his diversified business empire.
“We are the world’s largest venture capital investor in Metanet apps,” says Ayre in the promotional video included below. He later adds, “Metanet apps use unbondedly scaling public proof of work Enterprise Blockchains.”
Calvin Ayre’s Involvement with Bitcoin
In 2016, Calvin Ayre was linked to Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who publicly claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. It’s important to note that the UK High Court ruled that Craig Wright was not Satoshi and ordered him to stop making that claim after years of what the judge described as “legal nonsense” from Wright and his lawyers.
Reports suggested that Ayre may have been instrumental in orchestrating this ‘revelation’ and potentially financed the $30 million acquisition and development of Wright’s assets. While we couldn’t confirm his investment, Ayre has publicly promoted the claim that Craig is Nakamoto on his social media accounts:
just like you guys thought he would not win all the others…Craig has not lost and will not lose…just as I predicted years ago. You guys need to stop with the lies and just admit that Craig is Satoshi and BSV is Bitcoin before you get crushed with your own lies.
— Calvin Ayre (@CalvinAyre) August 30, 2022
In 2019, Ayre dove into a Twitter argument against Wright, which was instigated by the Twitter user “Hodlonaut.” Binance’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, joined the discussion, stressing that Craig Wright is not Satoshi. The campaign gathered huge momentum, which drove Wright to announce a $5,000 reward to anyone who would help him reveal Hodlonaut’s identity.
Craig Wright is not Satoshi.
Anymore of this sh!t, we delist! https://t.co/hrnt3fDACq
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) April 12, 2019
In August 2017, Ayre expanded his footprint in the crypto media space when he acquired CoinGeek.com, a news site dedicated to blockchain and cryptocurrency developments.
He also ventured into Bitcoin mining and established operations after acquiring about 50,000 (non-operational) cloud computing units. However, he sold these assets to the Canadian firm TAAL Distributed Information Technologies Inc. in 2020.
Initially, Ayre supported Bitcoin Cash (BCH), a fork of the original Bitcoin blockchain. However, in 2018, he withdrew his support due to disagreements over proposed protocol changes. Subsequently, he became an advocate for Bitcoin SV (BSV), a different and more controversial Bitcoin fork.
Ayre and Craig Wright became two of the leading voices supporting Bitcoin SV or “Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision,” claiming that the project intended to restore the original vision of Bitcoin as imagined by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Beyond media and mining, Calvin Ayre has invested in several blockchain enterprises. Notably, in December 2019, he joined the Strategic Advisory Board nChain, a company specializing in enterprise-grade blockchain solutions. While the details remain undisclosed, he reportedly made a significant investment to support its initiatives.
He also provided funding to sCrypt, a venture focused on developing a high-level smart contract language for BSV, further enhancing its programmability. Ayre invested in Transmira, a company pioneering Experiental Reality technology on the BSV blockchain, and backed UNISOT, a Norwegian venture offering supply chain management solutions on the blockchain.
As for his personal crypto portfolio, the details haven’t been disclosed to the public. However, it’s likely that Ayre owns at least some cryptocurrency as he has been very active in the cryptocurrency space. Through investments in companies like TAAL and nChain, he holds significant stakes in major BSV mining pools, including Coingeek and SVPool. Collectively, these entities control over 60% of the Bitcoin SV hashrate (meaning that they essentially can control the token and its network).
Based on his involvement in the crypto industry and support for BSV, he likely has substantial holdings in Bitcoin SV.
Bitcoin…and its still the only one I own but since you guys stole the trading ticker for your nonscaling alt, Bitcoin now is only BSV, and its the largest public blockchain in the world by all utility metrics and this is where real value is made in life…spotting trends.
— Calvin Ayre (@CalvinAyre) August 25, 2021
Calvin Ayre’s Philanthropic Efforts
Ayre and his internet gaming business, Bodog, have supported numerous charitable causes over the years. This includes the LA Lakers Youth Foundation and the Animal Avengers Organization (led by actress Shannon Elizabeth).
In 2005, Ayre created the Calvin Ayre Foundation and formalized his charitable efforts under its banner. The Calvin Ayre Foundation focused on areas including the environment, animal welfare, and education for the disadvantaged. The foundation supported elementary schools, physical rehabilitation centers, as well as needy families in Costa Rica.
Through his Calvin Ayre Foundation, Ayre has demonstrated significant support for the Sean McCauley Hope Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.
In 2006, Ayre produced a weekend of entertainment for U.S. military personnel in Hawaii called “Bodog Salutes the Troops.” The footage appeared in a one-hour special on Spike TV, consisting of a poker tournament and a live musical concert that featured Snoop Dogg. The event was intended as a benefit for the Fisher House Foundation.
In 2010, the Calvin Ayre Foundation matched funds raised by the gambling industry for relief efforts after the Haiti earthquake.
In 2013, after the damage of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, Ayre donated $200,000 to relief efforts. The Calvin Ayre Foundation pledged to match the individual donations from gaming industry members to typhoon relief up to $1 million.
Three years later, Ayre donated $200,000 to a fund for deserving Antiguan students, with the goal of helping them get access to premier education. YouTuber KateGoesTech interviewed Ayre about his philanthropy if you’re interested in learning more about it.
Awards and Accolades in Philanthropy
In 2018, the Halo Foundation held the “Wings of Charity” ceremony in London. At the event, Antigua and Barbuda’s Governor, General Sir Rodney Williams, presented Calvin Ayre with the foundation’s special award for his philanthropic support. In 2019, the Governor presented him with the Faithful and Meritorious Service Cross award.
In 2017, Ayre was appointed as a special economic envoy for the government of Antigua and Barbuda. A year later, he was named the Antiguan Halo Foundation’s Philanthropist of the Year.
happy to do my part in my adopted home country:https://t.co/6QHWg4r1EF
— Calvin Ayre (@CalvinAyre) May 6, 2023
Lessons to Learn from Ayre’s Story
Calvin Ayre’s rise from humble beginnings to becoming a billionaire in online gaming offers valuable lessons, both positive and cautionary. He started out by taking bets on the untapped online gaming market, recognizing an opportunity before others even saw it.
His journey really began when Ayre launched the Bodog brand, which would later grow into one of the largest online gambling brands in the world. His vision and his entrepreneurial drive allowed him to scale Bodog into a global powerhouse.
One of the key positive lessons from Ayre’s story is his ability to spot and seize opportunities. He built a thriving business by venturing into uncharted territories, like online gambling, when few believed it could be profitable.
Ayre’s investments in crypto and blockchain further demonstrate his willingness to evolve with emerging technologies. This has potentially added new dimensions to his impressive wealth and teaches us the importance of diversifying one’s investments for financial success.
There are also important lessons to learn from his controversial journey, though. Ayre’s avoidance of legal boundaries, particularly regarding U.S. gambling regulations, raises questions about the risks associated with operating in industries where the legal landscape is uncertain.
FAQ
What is Calvin Ayre's net worth in 2025?
As of 2025, Calvin Ayre's net worth is over $2 billion. This is largely due to his successful work with Bodog, as well as his investments in crypto and blockchain.
What happened to the Bodog brand?
The Bodog brand was sold in 2006 when Ayre sold its U.S. operations to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group. He retained the rights to the brand outside of the U.S., but decided to retire from the industry soon after.
How did Ayre get involved in Bitcoin?
Calvin Ayre became involved in Bitcoin and crypto during the early days of the digital currency. He supported Bitcoin Cash and was involved in the creation of Bitcoin SV, which he believes is the true version of Bitcoin.
