Masters, who has been an integral part of the world elite for over a decade, is using the current turning point in his career—the end of his long-standing involvement with the GT Factory Racing Team—to take a hard look at the situation. He makes it clear that for most athletes, the path to a professional salary involves extreme financial sacrifices. "People only see the glamorous factory teams, but they don't see the years you spend as a privateer using up all your savings just to get to the starting line," says Masters.

The Privateer Years (Early On): $0 to Deficit In the early years of his World Cup career, Masters did not earn a salary. On the contrary, he invested all of his savings (earned from jobs in Australian gold mines, among other things) to finance travel expenses and equipment. During this phase, he literally lived "hand to mouth."

The first professional contracts: $10,000–$20,000

After initial successes, contracts with smaller teams followed. Although these often covered travel expenses, the actual base salary was only a small amount of pocket money, which was barely enough to live on.

The "factory" era (GT Factory Racing): $60,000 to $100,000

It was only in the middle and later stages of his career, particularly through his role as a "marketing machine" (Wyn TV) and consistent top results, that he reached six-figure sums. He emphasizes that a "well-paid" World Cup pro (outside the absolute top 5 in the world) typically earns between $60,000 and $120,000 USD.

Additional income & bonuses

Masters explains that prize money (often only a few thousand euros for a victory) is negligible. The majority of income comes from the teams' base salary and personal sponsorship contracts (helmets, goggles, shoes).

An appeal to the industry

There is a clear mission behind the video: Masters wants to protect young talent. Due to a lack of transparency, young talents often have no basis for negotiation and sign contracts that barely cover their living expenses. He calls on brands and teams to communicate more fairly and to measure the value of athletes not only by their race results, but also by their media reach and brand ambassador function.