At the height of his fame and fortune, Muhammad Ali nearly lost everything. In 1967, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, but refused for political and religious reasons. Per History, he was subsequently stripped of his heavyweight champion title, forbidden to work in the United States, fined $10,000, and received a 5-year jail sentence (which was ultimately overturned).
In a 1968 interview, the boxer admitted he was "just about broke" and explained, "White America has completely closed all the doors on me. I'm not allowed to work in America. I was stopped right in my prime just when I started making money." But Ali confessed that he willingly gave up the money to stay true to his principles and beliefs, stating, "Tomorrow I could go back to get the money if I would only deny my faith, if I would only join up against my religion, I could easily go back to making millions. So I can always say that I turned this down; I didn't lose it, I turned it down, and I go out still with my head high."
During these years in exile, Ali was invited to speak at colleges, reportedly earning $1,500 a speech (via the New York Post). However, he predominantly served as a Muslim minister and claimed he would only return to boxing to get out of debt. Angelo Dundee, his trainer, later told ESPN, "Due to his beliefs, he was robbed of the best years of his life."
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