Forbes recently unveiled its yearly list of the highest-paid athletes in the world and as expected, the salaries of the top 10 are astronomical. UFC superstar Conor McGregor topped the list for the first time by raking in $180m, most of which did not actually come from his exploits inside the octagon.
The top 10 took home gross earnings of $1.05 billion (before tax) during the past 12 months, 28% more than last year’s top earners.
McGregor and his business exploits
McGregor’s wealth over the past year came, in large part, due to the success of his whiskey brand, Proper Twelve. He sold his majority share in the company to Proximo Spirits for a staggering $150m, launching him to the top of Forbes’ list, and getting himself into its top 10 for the second time in his career. He sat at No. 4 in 2018, after earning $99m for his fight against Floyd Mayweather.
The Irishman earned a further $8m through endorsements with the likes of DraftKings, the video game Dystopia: Contest of Heroes and clothing brand Roots of Fight. He fought just once in the 12-month period Forbes made its calculations from, losing to Dustin Poirier in January of this year. He earned an estimated $22m for the bout.
He’s set to earn another eye-watering paycheck when the pair meet for their trilogy bout in July (McGregor had previously beaten Poirier back in 2014), and betting site 888 Sport sees the fight as pretty much 50-50 affair, with similar odds offered for both men.
‘The Notorious’, aside from being an excellent fighter, has proven himself one of the greatest self-promoters in combat sports history, dishing out iconic one-liners and predicting the results of his fights earlier in his career. This, alongside some terrific knockout wins, saw him achieve a meteoric rise in the UFC to become the biggest star the company has ever seen.
Lionel Messi takes second place
Modern footballing great Lionel Messi was the second highest-paid athlete according to Forbes, earning a total of $130m in that 12-month window, setting a record for football players in the list. The 33-year-old made a surprise move last year to try and leave lifelong club Barcelona, though backed down after realising he would need a lengthy court battle in order to do so.
That drama resulted in the leak of Messi’s contract with the cash-strapped club, which was revealed to total at $674m. This works out at roughly $97m earnings from his club salary in the past year. Messi added to that haul with a further $33m from endorsements, including his lifetime deal with sports giant Adidas. He also released a clothing line designed by Ginny Hilfiger, sister of Tommy Hilfiger.
Cristiano Ronaldo is close behind
Not far behind Messi is Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned $120m, according to Forbes. Currently plying his trade at Juventus, the 36-year-old is said to be earning an average of $64m per year from the club, though this past year is estimated to have taken home $70m. The extra $50m came from his various endorsements.
A large part of that comes from his deal with Nike, which industry insiders predict will continue long into his retirement from football and eventually be worth a total of $1bn across his lifetime.
The Portuguese star is also able to leverage his record-breaking social media following, which totals more than 500m people across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – more than any other person on the planet. This has led to significant sponsorship deals with a variety of brands, including Tag Heuer and Herbalife.
Ronaldo has also established his own brand – CR7 – which sells clothing and accessories, but also has chains of gyms and a football-themed hotels in Portugal.
Dak Prescott helped to break the record
Dallas Cowboys NFL star Dak Prescott was the fourth athlete on the list to surpass the $100m mark, making 2021 the first year that many have achieved that feat. The previous record was three athletes.
At 27, Prescott is also the youngest athlete inside Forbes’ top 10, earning an estimated $107.5m. This, in large part, came from the $66m signing bonus he received for signing his four-year, $160m contract extension with the Cowboys, totalling his earnings on the gridiron to $97.5m over the past year.
Prescott earned $10m from his endorsements with brands like 7/11 and DirecTV, and also recently invested in a chain of restaurants.
LeBron James continues to rake it in
Basketball legend LeBron James came in at No. 5 on Forbes’ list with yearly earnings of $96.5m, most of which came off the court. He signed a lucrative deal with PepsiCo after leaving competitors Coca Cola and is also set to star in “Space Jam: A New Legacy”, in the lead role. $31.5m of his earnings came from his NBA record-breaking salary deal with the LA Lakers.
He will hope to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest NBA player of all time and who is now worth a reported $1.6bn. He reportedly earned roughly $90m during his record-setting career, though the majority of his wealth came from the branding empire he built off the court, most notably his deal with Nike.
These athletes have all transcended their respective sports, some for their otherworldly talent, others for their larger-than-life charisma, meaning they each pocket eye-watering sums of money every year.
