It pays to be at the top of your field – something that I’m willing to say rings twice as true in the world of sports. Forbes recently revealed what the highest-paid athletes of the decade earned, and you may want to sit down for this one.
Check it out now.
- Floyd Mayweather (Boxing) – US$915 million
“Mayweather pocketed more than US$500 million combined for his 2015 and 2017 fights versus Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor.“ - Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer) – US$800 million
“Ronaldo’s endorsement partners benefit from his massive Instagram and Facebook followings, which both rank as the biggest of any person on the planet.” - Lionel Messi (Soccer) – US$750 million
“Messi’s 2019 playing salary for Barcelona is the highest of any athlete across all team sports.“ - LeBron James (Basketball) – US$680 million
“James has made more than twice as much from endorsements during his first 16 years in the NBA, compared to his US$270 million in playing salary.“ - Roger Federer (Tennis) – US$640 million
“Federer, 38, is on the back end of his tennis career, but his earnings will stay high on the back of a 10-year, US$300 million deal with Uniqlo inked in 2018.” - Tiger Wood (Golf) – US$615 million
“Tiger averaged only 10 PGA Tour events per year during the 2010s, but his endorsement earnings for the decade were tops among athletes.“ - Phil Mickelson (Golf) – US$480 million
“Mickelson nabbed the biggest paycheck of his career in 2018 when he defeated his longtime rival Woods in an exhibition for a $9 million purse.“ - Manny Pacquiao (Boxing) – US$435 million
“Pacquiao’s 25 pay-per-view fights have generated 20 million buys and an estimated US$1.3 billion in revenue.” - Kevin Durant (Basketball) – US$425 million
“Durant’s annual earnings from his salary and endorsements jumped 400% during the course of the decade.” - Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1) – US$400 million
“The six-time F1 World Champion is the most marketable athlete in the sport and commands the biggest paycheck.“
Just to make things a little more interesting, have a glance at the progression of these earnings/rankings of the highest-paid athletes of the decade below (once again – courtesy of Forbes).
