The salary of professional athletes is not just made up of their training and playing time. Many people supplement their earnings through sponsorships and advertising contracts. Which athletes are among the highest earners?
Every year Forbes Magazine publishes a list of the highest-earning professional athletes in the world. The top ten are mainly made up of football, golf and basketball players. But a tennis ace and a boxer also made it into the top ten. The ranking shows which athletes from the various sports earn the best. The status of the ranking is May 1, 2023.
Editorial team Finanz.net
11th place: The ranking
Professional sports athletes earn millions through their sporting activities. But her earnings are not only earned through her sporting achievements. In addition, there are often sponsorship and advertising contracts that bring professional athletes millions more. Every year Forbes Magazine publishes a list of the highest-paid professional athletes. The athletes are ranked according to their total earnings from May 1, 2022 to May 1, 2023. The top ten highest-earning professional athletes are presented in this ranking.
Source: Forbes, Image: Hadrian / Shutterstock.com
10th place: Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is in tenth place with an annual salary of 39.8 million euros and additional income of 40.6 million euros, for a total of 80.4 million euros. Through his investment company 35V, Durant has acquired stakes in various companies and leagues over the past decade, including the Premier Lacrosse League, nutrition brand Happy Viking, League One Volleyball, women’s sports league network Athletes Unlimited, a major league pickleball team, the Fanatics’ Mitchell & Ness label, digital creative company Goldenset Collective, sports software startup ScorePlay and Tiger Woods’ TMRW Sports. In addition to these investments, Durant runs the emerging media outlet Boardroom and holds one of the NBA’s most lucrative sneaker deals with Nike, which was recently converted to a lifetime contract.
Source: Forbes, Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
9th place: Roger Federer
Former professional tennis player Roger Federer occupies ninth place in the ranking despite his relatively low salary of 90,000 euros – thanks to his impressive additional income of 85.8 million euros. Federer, who announced his retirement from professional tennis in September 2022, has his own brand RF and also holds a significant stake in the rapidly expanding Swiss shoe manufacturer On.
Source: Forbes, Image: Lev Radin / Shutterstock.com
8th place: Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry, NBA player, ranks eighth with a salary of 43.7 million euros and additional income of 46.9 million euros. His total income is therefore 90.6 million euros. Curry signed a permanent contract with Under Armor in March that lasts until he retires from basketball. He also invested in the virtual reality platform Golf+ and in TMRW Sports, a start-up founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that aims to establish a technology-based golf league.
Source: Forbes, Image: Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley / Shutterstock.com
7th place: Phil Mickelson
As co-founder of the company For Wellness, which produces coffee additives, golfer Phil Mickelson is in seventh place with total earnings of 95.7 million euros, consisting of a salary of 93.9 million euros and additional income of 1.8 million euros. Mickelson’s move to the LIV Tour cost him some sponsorship, but it also created new sources of income outside of his golf career.
Source: Forbes, Image: Chris Trotman/Getty Images
6th place: Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson, also a professional golfer, is in sixth place with an annual income of 96.6 million euros, consisting of a salary of 92.1 million euros and additional income of 4.5 million euros. Johnson’s most recent focus as an entrepreneur has been on building the 4Aces GC brand and the LIV team, where he serves as captain and co-owner. In recent tournaments, this team’s logo has been emblazoned on his shirt, instead of the usual adidas logo.
Source: Forbes, Image: Gary Yee / Shutterstock.com
5th place: Canelo Álvarez
In fifth place is the boxer Canelo Álvarez with a total income of 99.3 million euros, consisting of a salary of 90.3 million euros and additional income of 9.0 million euros. Álvarez is also an entrepreneur and has several business areas. He is the brains behind the sports drink manufacturer Yaoca, the fitness app I Can and the gas station chain Canelo Energy. In addition, he has his own clothing line and his own credit card. He also signed a deal with Excel Sports Management in September 2022 to expand his marketing contracts.
Source: Forbes, Image: lev radin / Shutterstock.com
4th place: LeBron James
Fourth on the list is Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James. With a salary of 40.2 million euros and an impressive sum of additional earnings of 67.7 million euros, he has a total income of 107.9 million euros. James has used his influence as one of the world’s most well-known athletes to create and promote a variety of business ventures. This additional income comes from a range of endorsements, film projects and investments in various companies and sports teams, such as sports nutrition company Ladder and investments in Liverpool FC and the Pittsburgh Penguins
Source: Forbes, Image: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
3rd place: Kylian Mbappé
Footballer Kylian Mbappé, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, is in third place with a total income of 108.4 million euros. His salary is 90.3 million euros and he earns an additional 18.1 million euros from various additional income. His off-field income comes from various sponsorship deals, endorsement deals, and other business ventures, such as for Sorare, a cryptocurrency-based fantasy game.
Source: Forbes, Image: Dokshin Vlad / Shutterstock.com
2nd place: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, also a Paris Saint-Germain football star, takes second place on this list with an impressive total income of 117.4 million euros. His income consists of a salary of 58.7 million euros and an equally high additional income of 58.7 million euros. Messi’s outstanding career and worldwide fame have brought him lucrative endorsement deals and business opportunities that significantly supplement his income. In June it was also announced that Messi would play for Inter Miami in the USA next season. Although his base salary at Inter Miami is only 50 million euros per season, his income could increase to up to 250 million euros through bonuses.
Source: Forbes, Image: Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley / Shutterstock.com
1st place: Christiano Ronaldo
With an impressive annual income of 122.8 million euros, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al-Nassr FC, takes the first place on this list. His salary is 41.5 million euros. He also earns 81.3 million euros through various additional income, such as paid postings on Instagram. Ronaldo left Manchester United in November and joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in January, resulting in a significant increase in his playing salary. He launches his own clothing line and perfumes under his own brand “CR7” and runs a hotel chain. Ronaldo also has his own CR7 museum. He has also secured a number of endorsement deals, including partnerships with Tag Heuer, Clear Man and Herbalife, a nutritional products company.
Source: Forbes, Image: Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock.com
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