Who is Lakiha Spicer?
Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer was born in 1977, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and is a socialite, best known for being the wife of former professional boxer Mike Tyson. The couple has had storied controversial histories, with Tyson’s problems relating to crime and drugs. She has also been involved in controversies due to her family, who’ve been involved in issues of corruption.
The Net Worth of Lakiha Spicer
As of early-2020, Lakiha Spicer’s net worth is estimated to be over $700,000, gained mostly thanks to the inheritance she gained from her family’s wealth, which has been accumulated through legitimate means.
She probably benefits from the success of her husband as well, whose net worth is estimated to be over $3 million. At one point, Tyson’s net worth was estimated to be over $300 million, but problems with drugs, crime, and improper handling of finances have reduced it significantly.
A Controversial Past
Lakiha’s mother is known as Rita Spicer and her father is Shamsud-din Ali. For many years, especially during the late-1990s up to the 2000s, her family became involved in a large racketeering enterprise. They gained wealth through the use of bribery and extortion, though it didn’t last long as the family was eventually caught by the authorities.
Following their arrest, her father was sentenced to nine years in prison while her mother served a year in jail. Lakiha was required to serve four years’ probation, and was under house arrest for a short period. After her probation, it was discovered that she had received a significant sum from her father’s company, for allegedly participating in teaching that she never did, thus obtaining the funds illegally. She was sent to federal prison as a result and served a six-month sentence. After her marriage to Tyson, she has been credited for helping save his life and keep him straight. She is also the co-writer of the film production “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth”, on which she worked on alongside her husband.
Husband – Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson grew up in Brooklyn, New York alongside an older brother, Rodney and older sister Denise – she died from a heart attack aged 24. He was raised by his mother and a stepfather – his mother didn’t tell him about his biological father until much later. His stepfather also didn’t last long in the family, as he suffered from gambling problems and eventually left them to fend on their own.
They lived in financial poverty, and after his mother passed away when he was 16 years old, he came under the care of boxing trainer Cus D’Amato who would help him develop his signature boxing style. He was taught to channel his emotions and frustrations into boxing instead of participating in criminal activities that were rampant in his neighborhood.
He dropped out of high school and began focusing on a boxing career, leading him to win two Gold Medals at the Junior Olympic Games as an amateur.
Becoming a Legend – Mike Tyson
At the age of 18, Tyson made his professional boxing debut, and quickly established himself, winning 26 of his first 28 fights via technical knockout (TKO), most of which were completed during the first round. This led him to more competitive matches and fighters who were on the borderline of contending for titles. After continuing to score more knockout victories, he easily won a fight against former title challenger Marvis Frazier, which led to his first title match against Trevor Berbick, which he won via TKO in the second round.
A lot of viewers quickly became Tyson fans, thanks to his strong combination of accuracy, timing and power.
He became one of the contenders in the heavyweight unification series, a tournament designed to help establish an undisputed champion in the heavyweight division. He won the World Boxing Association (WBA) title by defeating James Smith, and the media went into a frenzy, believing that he would become the undisputed champion. He proved them right, as he beat Trevor Berbick to win the World Boxing Championship (WBC) title, both Pinklon Thomas and Tony Tucker, leading him to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title, making him the first heavyweight to own all three major belts.
He continued with a strong career up to the mid-2000s, amidst a few controversial matches, and criminal problems.
Controversies and Life After Boxing – Mike Tyson
Mike’s career wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies as he suffered from a lot of problems, several of which were serious. In 1992, he was convicted of rape and was sentenced to six years in prison, serving three before being released on parole. He quickly returned to form and back to winning championships before eventually losing the title to Evander Holyfield in 1996, a return fight saw Tyson disqualified for biting-off part of Holyfield’s ear. In 2002, at the age of 35, he became a title contender once more, but lost against Lennox Lewis, leading him to retire after a few more fights.
Despite having won over $300 million during his career, he declared bankruptcy in 2003 with debts of $23 million. This was due to money mismanagement, and a problem with drugs that he struggled with most of his life. He managed to recover from these problems thanks to his prestigious name, which helped him gain sponsorships and endorsement deals. After a few more issues with drugs and the authorities, he got work as an actor, appearing mostly in cameo or minor roles. In recent months, he’s been busy with business, writing books and producing various entertainment programs.
Personal Life
Tyson was Lakiha’s first husband though she wasn’t his first wife. He had been married to actress Robin Givens for only a year, marked by various problems.
In 1997, he married Monica Turner, and that marriage lasted for six years before they divorced. He met Lakiha when she was 18 years old, and while the two were attracted to each other, he was advised to keep away due to her family connections. Four years later the two reconnected and began dating casually in New York. She stayed with him even after his imprisonments and other alleged misdemeanors. In 2008 she discovered that she was pregnant with his child, and a year later they married in a short ceremony inside the Las Vegas Hilton. He has credited her for being the person who saved his life, with their marriage named as a life-saving experience. The couple rarely appear together in public.