This Billionaire Athlete Earns 2x More From Sponsorships Than His Salary

24/7 insights

• • For many athletes, sponsorship contributions represent the largest portion of their income.
  • Many athletes on this list have lifetime contracts with some of the brands they endorse.
  • Basketball and football stars are currently the big winners from sponsorship deals.
  • Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever

In most cases, athletes make the majority of their income from the contracts and salaries paid by their teams. However, for an elite group of athletes, endorsements can be significant and the money earned from endorsements can exceed contract and sports earnings. This is especially true for athletes like Lebron James, who makes nearly double his salary from endorsements.

While you might think that only Lebron James makes money from sponsorships, many athletes make a lot of money from sponsorships. Forbes And Company Insider Using data, we can look at the earnings of the world’s top athletes over the past 12 months in descending order and see who earns the most from sponsorships.

Why is this important?

Nike is one of the brands that sponsors many famous athletes.

When you think about where the world’s richest athletes get their endorsement money, it comes from many of the brands we cover regularly on 24/7 Wall Street. Whether it’s Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Subway, Nike, Adidas or dozens of other companies, athletes can receive seven and even eight zero checks annually to lock in their promotional muscle for years to come.

10. Neymar

Neymar is a Brazilian sensation on the football field.

• Contractual income: $80 million
• Income from approvals: $28 million
• Recommended brands: EPIC Games, Puma, Qatar Airways, Red Bull, Flutter Entertainment
• Sport: Football

Neymar Junior

Neymar is one of the highest paid footballers ever.

The one-name wonder, Neymar, is one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. The Brazilian football phenomenon has been at the top of the football world since the early 2000s, when his youth career began. Since then, Neymar has earned hundreds of millions as a professional footballer worldwide.

9. Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has made a lot of money from sponsorships.

• Tournament Income: $35.1 million
• Income from approvals: $45 million
• Recommended brands: TaylorMade, Omega, Nike, WorkDay
• Sport: Golf

The Intimidator

Rory McIlroy has also made a lot of money from tournament winnings.

Nicknamed “The Intimidator” by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy is one of the most prolific golfers in the world. Rory has no shortage of sponsors willing to attach his name to their brand, earning him over $45 million in the past 12 months.

8. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant has a wide reach with the brands he recommends.

• Contractual income: $47.8 million
• Income from approvals: $45.5 million
• Recommended brands: Fanatics, FanDuel, Nike, 2K Sports
• Sport: Basketball

Slender Reaper

Kevin Durant is best known for his nickname, the “Slim Reaper”.

With the best nickname in the NBA, Kevin Durant, also known as the “Slim Reaper,” is one of the best players to ever grace the world in the past decade. A two-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist, Durant brings in the money truck with his Phoenix Suns contract and official endorsements for brands like Fanatics and FanDuel.

7. Steph Curry

Steph Curry is unstoppable behind the three-point line.

• Contractual income: $52 million
• Income from approvals: $50 million
• Recommended brands: Under Armour, Nissan, Subway, Sony, JP Morgan, FTX
• Sport: Basketball

Chef Curry

Steph Curry is the most exciting player to watch in the NBA.

Arguably one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history, Steph Curry went from a little-known NBA prospect to a four-time NBA champion. As a result, Curry’s earnings on and off the court have made him a very wealthy player. His lifetime deal with Under Armour is sure to remain profitable for years to come.

6. Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods has been making a lot of money from Nike for years.

• Tournament Income: $12.2 million
• Income from approvals: $55 million
• Recommended brands: Rolex, Gatorade, American Express, Monster Energy, TaylorMade
• Sport: Golf

Eldrick “Tiger” Woods

Brands can count on Tiger Woods to win and promote their brand.

As the world’s most famous golfer, you might be surprised to learn that Tiger is a nickname. The good news is that it’s a fitting moniker, as Tiger Woods is one of the winningest golfers of all time. With dozens of endorsement deals over the years, most notably his famously long deal with Nike, Tiger earns the majority of his annual revenue from these relationships.

5. Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is the highest paid athlete in the world.

• Contractual income: $25.3 million
• Income from approvals: $60 million
• Recommended brands: Fanatics, ASICS, Japan Airlines, Hugo Boss, Oakley, Topps
• Sport: Baseball

700 Million Dollar Man

Shohei Ohtani lives off his sponsorship money.

As the owner of the largest contract in Major League Baseball history, Shohei Ohtani will never worry about money again. With endorsements earning him more than $60 million over the past 12 months, it’s no surprise that Ohtani was happy to delay his $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers into the next decade.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo earns a lot of money playing in Saudi Arabia.

• Contractual income: $200 million
• Income from approvals: $60 million
• Recommended brands: Binance, Erakulis, Nika, Herbalife, Clear Haircare, Whoop
• Sport: Football

Football King

Cristiano Ronaldo has sponsorship deals with brands all over the world.

As one of the most famous athletes in the world, and perhaps the most famous soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo makes a lot of money off the pitch. His deals with Nike, Herbalife, and Binance help pay the bills on top of his Al Nassr contract.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most humble NBA stars.

• Contractual income: $46 million
• Income from approvals: $65 million
• Recommended brands: Google, Nike, WhatsApp, Tissot, JBL
• Sport: Basketball

The Greek Freak

Giannis Antetokounmpo is unstoppable when he’s on the field.

Best known by his nickname, the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best basketball players in the world. The eight-time NBA All-Star and 2021 NBA Champion has been a force for the Milwaukee Bucks since joining the team in 2013.

2. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is the highest paid footballer in the world.

• Contractual income: $65 million
• Income from approvals: $70 million
• Recommended brands: Budweiser, Pepsi, Lay’s, Air Europa, Jacob and Co.
• Sport: Football

The Pulga

Lionel Messi offers global reach for sponsorship brands.

One of the biggest names in sports in the world, Lionel Messi, needs little introduction. The World Cup winner has achieved almost every goal he could hope for while also making a fortune in his sport. Messi’s endorsement deals with both American and international brands as part of his earnings over the past 12 months have made him unimaginably wealthy.

1. Lebron James

Lebron James is the highest paid athlete through sponsorship.

• Contractual income: $48.2 million
• Income from approvals: $80 million
• Recommended brands: DraftKings, Beats, Pepsi, Crypto.com, Nike
• Sport: Basketball

King James

Brands can count on Lebron James to attract new customers.

Lebron James, one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, is an unsurprising top pick for the most endorsed athlete in the world. With partnerships with brands like DraftKings and Beats, and a lifetime deal with Nike, James will be earning big checks even after he steps off the court for the final time.

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