The figures shared by Forbes include prize money, salaries, and bonuses between 1 May 2022 and 1 May 2023.
The world’s top 10 highest-paid athletes have made a total of $1.1 billion over the last 18 months, increasing some 5% from the previous all-time high of 2018, mostly with the help of Middle Eastern funding, Forbes reported on Tuesday.
Explaining the whopping figure, the report said the amount is calculated before taxes and agents’ fees are deducted. It also marks a 12% jump from last year’s $990 million.
Last year, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi topped the list with an on-field payment of $75 million and off-field payment of $55 million.
The figures shared by Forbes include prize money, salaries, and bonuses between 1 May 2022 and 1 May 2023.
Without further ado, here is the list of the world’s top 10 highest-paid athletes and their earnings.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – $136 million
Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo’s digits have continues to increase, making him the highest-paid athlete in the new Forbes ranking for the first time since 2017 and for the third time overall.
The record holder’s total pay hit $136 million, of which $46 million is on-field and $90 million came from off-field payments, which include partnerships and other appearances.
Late last year, Ronaldo made a surprising move to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, which has almost doubled the player’s salary to around $75 million, per the Forbes report.
2. Lionel Messi – $130 million
Argentina’s crowned World Cup champion moved down to second place in terms of payments, earning $130 million over the past 12 months, out of which $65 million was sourced back to on-field earning while the remaining $65 million came from off-field.
Some of the contributing factors to his rising salary include his latest deal with Socios, a block-chain-based fan platform, which injects an estimate of $20 million annually into his bank account.
3. Kylian Mbappe – $120 million
Also from PSG, 24-year-old Mbappe’s pay reached $120 million in total; $100 million on-field, $20 million off-field.
The French player is the only athlete under 30 years old who made it to the list and has the highest-playing salary in the football industry.
4. LeBron James – $119.5 million
In basketball, Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James boasts a $4.5 million on-field pay and a whopping $75 million off field.
In June last year, James became the first athlete to become what Forbes described as a “certified billionaire”.
5. Canelo Alvarez – $110 million
In boxing, Mexican champion Alvarez was listed has having $100 million in on-field pay and $10 million off field.
Alvarez is among five athletes who were reported to have made nine figures for the first time in Forbes’s list.
6. Dustin Johnson – $107 million
The American golf superstar made his debut in the top 10 list this year, with a $102 million on-field earnings and a $5 million off-field pay.
Last year was positive for Johnson after he completed the LIV Golf 2022 season with a tour-best $35.6 million prize.
Out of the total he received from the tour, he was awarded $18 million for winning the championship.
7. Phil Mickelson – $106 million
Mickelson left the PGA Tour last year to join Johson at the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. Between May 2022 and 2023, Mickelson’s on-field earnings reached $104 million and the remaining $2 million accounted for his off-field gains.
Last year, the 52-year-old American golfer’s earnings exceeded $1 billion due to his coffee supplements business, ‘For Wellness’, contributing to his off-field pay.
He also bagged $1.6 million last year, half of the prize money which he shared with Brooks Koepka after tying in the LIV Golf Masters.
8. Stephen Curry – $100.4 million
The Golden State Warriors player has earned $48.4 million on-field and $52 million off-field over the previous 12 months, marking the first such time he has reached a cumulative nine figure in earnings.
Last year, Curry’s pay was the highest in the NBA’s season with $48.1 million and he is set to earn $50 million in the 2023-2024 season.
Some of the other sources of his pay include his long-time contract with Under Armour, as well as his partnership with Chase Bank. He also owns Unanimous Media, a multimedia company that is currently producing a documentary on his life.
9. Roger Federer – $95.1 million
Tennis champion Roger Federer earns mostly off-field, with only $0.1 million of the total amount making up for his on-field earnings.
Notably, Federer retired from competitive tennis in September last year.
10. Kevin Durant – $89.1 million
At the bottom of the list, 34-year-old American basketball player Durant makes almost the same amount on ($44.1 million) and off ($45 million) the field.
Durant has stakes in the Premier Lacrosse League, nutrition brand Happy Viking, League One Volleyball, women’s sports league network Athletes Unlimited, a Major League Pickleball team, as well as other ventures.
Forbes reported Durant also boasts “one of the NBA’s most valuable sneaker deals” with sports giant Nike, which locks him in for a lifetime contract.
The only NBA players who ever received such a deal are Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
