Sports in the modern era are a great way to get entertained and connect with other people. For athletes it means more than that, as it is from their daily sporting activities they make a living.
From football legends to basketball stars and golf greats, below is a list of the richest athletes of all the time.
1. Vince McMahon Net Worth – $2.4 Billion
Vince McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter and executive, American football executive and is the contemporary CEO of WWE.
McMahon has a net worth of $ 2.4 billion which is a decline from $2 Billion due to corona virus woes.
2. Michael Jordan Net Worth - $2.2 Billion
Michael Jordan is regarded as NBA’s greatest all time player and won 6 titles with Chicago bulls.
His net worth is now believed to be $2.2 billion thanks to the value of his NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets.
He also has sponsorship deals with Nike, Hanes, Gatorade and Upper Deck
3. Ion Tiriac Net Worth – $2.0 Billion
Tiriac is a former professional tennis and ice hockey player, currently serving as president of Romanian Tennis Federation.
After a successful career in tennis, Tiriac ventured into business where he founded the Tiriac Group which has interests in real estate, auto and financial services.
Forbes estimates his net worth to be $2.0 Billion
4. Anna Kasprzak Net Worth - $1.3 Billion
Anna Kasprzak is a Danish dressage rider. She represented Denmark at two summer Olympics events in the process achieving a 4th place finish in the team competition in 2021.
Along with her brother Andre and Mother Hanni, owns $1.3 Billion Danish shoe manufacturer, ECCO
5. Lebron James Net Worth - $1.2 Billion
Commonly known as King James, Lebron is a professional basketball player in the NBA currently playing for Los Angeles Lakers.
He is a 4 time NBA MVP, who is regarded by some as the greatest basketball player of all time.
Lebron was one of the best paid athletes of 2020 earning $88.2 million as reported by Forbes.
As one of the most marketable athletes today, James has the likes of Nike, Wal-Mart, Beats Electronics and 2K Sports in his endorsement portfolio.
He is also an entrepreneur. Some of his investments include Blaze Pizza franchises in Chicago and Florida, Ladder – a health and wellness company and he is a part owner of Liverpool FC.
6. Tiger Woods Net Worth - $1.1 Billion
Tiger Woods is an American Professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA tour wins and ranks second in men’s major championships plus many more.
He is Widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time.
Woods has earned more than $120 million in prize money during his lengthy career in pro golf. However, his winnings pale into insignificance compared to his earnings from endorsement deals.
As of 2021, Tiger Woods net worth is estimated to be roughly $800 million dollars.
7. Michael Schumacher Net Worth - $650 Million
Michael Schumacher is a retired German racing driver who competed in formula one for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Schumacher has a net worth of $800 million which he attained from endorsements and sponsorships deals. His career earnings are over $1 billion and he is one of few athletes to attain the feat.
8. Magic Johnson Net Worth - $620 Million
Revered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Johnson spent his 13 year NBA career with the Lakers guiding them to 5 championships.
According to various sources, Johnson's net worth is currently $600 million. He launched Magic Johnson enterprises upon retirement that is valued over $1 billion today.
9. Lionel Messi Net Worth - $600 Million
Messi earns a significant portion of his income from his salary as a professional football player. He has been one of the highest-paid footballers in the world for many years, earning tens of millions of dollars annually from his club and national team contracts.
Lionel Messi's salary at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was reported to be around €35 million ($41 million) per year after taxes. Additionally, Messi's contract with PSG may include other bonuses and incentives that can increase his earnings.
Messi is also one of the most marketable athletes in the world, and he has endorsement deals with several high-profile brands, including Adidas, PepsiCo, and Huawei. He reportedly earns tens of millions of dollars each year from these partnerships.
Messi has also invested in several businesses, including a hotel chain and a luxury apartment complex. These investments provide him with additional income streams.
Messi owns the rights to his name and image, which allows him to earn royalties from merchandise sales and other commercial uses of his likeness.
10. Junior Bridgeman Net Worth - $600 Million
Junoir Bridgeman is an American businessman and former professional basketball player.
Despite not having an eventful career as a basketball player, his enterprising nature is what earned him a net worth of $600 Million.
11. Roger Staubach Net Worth - $600 Million
Nicknamed “Roger the Dodger”, Roger Staubach is a former professional football player for Dallas Cowboys in the NFL.
Staubach is one of the wealthiest NFL players in history with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.
12. Eddie Jordan Net Worth - $600 Million
Eddie Jordan is an Irish former motorsport team boss, businessman and television personality.
Jordan obtained his wealth through founding and owning Jordan Grand Prix. His net worth today is $600 Million.
13. Roger Federer Net Worth - $550 Million
Roger Federer is a former Swiss professional tennis player. He has won 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles a feat only marched by Rafael Nadal.
Federer was ranked by Forbes as the best paid athlete of 2020, leap frogging the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi raking $106.3 Million.
14. Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth - $500 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional Portuguese Football player currently playing as a center forward for Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr FC. With over 800 career goals, Ronaldo is regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.
Like the other great athletes Cristiano earns handsomely. According to Forbes, Ronaldo was 2nd on the list of best paid athletes of 2020 taking home $105 million – $60 million from salary and $45 million from endorsements.
Due to his famous personality, Ronaldo is sponsored by popular brands like Herbalife, Nike, Tag Heuer and many more.
Apart from representing other brands, Ronaldo has created his own brand around the CR7 image. It is mostly centered on his underwear line but has evolved to include various other clothing, leisure and home products.
15. Floyd Mayweather Net Worth - $450 Million
Floyd Mayweather is an American professional boxing promoter and former professional boxer.
Forbes reports Mayweather made over $1 billion from boxing bouts in the last decade making him one of the best paid athletes ever.
16. David Beckham Net Worth - $450 Million
David Beckham is a retired English football player who played for Manchester united, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, PSG at club level and the England national team.
His career peaked in the late 1990’s while playing for Man United achieving worldwide fame in the process.
Beckham’s net worth is estimated to be $450 million in 2023 credited to huge salaries and endorsement deals as a player.
He is also a renowned fashion enthusiast which made it possible to work with global fashion brands like H & M.
Beckham has invested in football clubs, such as Salford City FC in the UK, Guild Esports, and the MLS team Inter Miami CF, which he co-owns.
He has a successful fashion brand called "DB Ventures" that includes several labels, such as Kent & Curwen and Victoria Beckham, the latter being a joint venture with his wife.
|
No |
Name |
Net Worth |
|
16 |
Michael Buffer |
$400 Million |
|
17 |
$400 Million |
|
|
18 |
Phil Mickelson |
$400 Million |
|
19 |
Shaquille
O'Neal |
$400 Million |
|
20 |
Alex Rodriguez |
$300 Million |
|
21 |
Greg
Norman |
$300 Million |
|
22 |
George Foreman |
$300 Million |
|
23 |
Jack
Nicklaus |
$300 Million |
|
24 |
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
$300 Million |
|
25 |
The
Rock Dwayne Johnson |
$280 Million |
|
26 |
Jack Nicklaus |
$280 Million |
|
27 |
Lewis
Hamilton |
$280 Million |
|
28 |
Fernando Alonso. |
$240 Million |
|
29 |
Paul
Caddick |
$225 Million |
|
30 |
$220 Million |
|
|
31 |
$220 Million |
|
|
32 |
Dave Whelan. |
$210 Million |
|
33 |
Ken
Block |
$200 Million |
|
34 |
Kimi Raikkonen. |
$200 Million |
|
35 |
Wayne
Gretzky. |
$200 Million |
|
36 |
Hakeem Olajuwon. |
$200 Million |
|
37 |
John
Madden. |
$200 Million |
|
38 |
Oscar De La Hoya. |
$200 Million |
|
39 |
Peyton
Manning. |
$200 Million |
|
40 |
Richard Childress. |
$200 Million |
|
41 |
Maria
Sharapova |
$195 Million |
|
42 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic |
$190 Million |
|
43 |
Manny
Pacquiao. |
$190 Million |
|
44 |
Derek Jeter. |
$185 Million |
|
45 |
Kevin
Garnett |
$180 Million |
|
46 |
Sir Tony O'Reilly |
$180 Million |
|
47 |
Grant
Hill. |
$180 Million |
|
48 |
Tom Brady |
$180 Million |
|
49 |
Tim
Duncan |
$177 Million |
|
50 |
Andre Agassi. |
$175 Million |
