Highest Paid Athletes In The World

The world of sports is an exciting one. Ever since the ancient Greeks decided to make the Olympics, sports have been an integral part of our day-to-day lives. Some sports themselves (in one shape or the other) even predate the Olympics, as they were one of the first ways we’ve had fun as a species.

Now, not all sports are fun to watch, but almost all popular sports are exciting, engaging, and fun – at least for the people playing them.

Sports are for the everyman – they encompass all that makes us human in one way. They’re a great way to demonstrate your physical prowess or mental strength – which is why they’re so popular.

Now, since they’re so popular, betting sites like to advertise events where these top athletes appear. Also, keep in mind that usually you will see higher odds of winning for these sportsmen.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the highest-paid athletes in the world, what they’re playing, where they’re from, what they achieved, and most importantly, how much they get paid. So sit back, pour yourself a glass of your favourite drink, and prepare to be set back by the mind-boggling numbers that are the paychecks of the top pro athletes.

Top 10 highest paid athletes ( editors picks)

Conor McGregor – $180M
Lewis Hamilton – $82M
Neymar Jr. – $95M
Roger Federer – $129.95M
Stephen Curry – $74.5M
Tiger Woods – $60M
James Harden – $51M
Joey Bosa – $44M
Myles Garett – $43M
Max Verstappen – $42.5M

List of the highest paid currently active athletes

Now that we’ve overseen some of the world’s highest-paid athletes, it’s time to get into the guts of the situation. Below, we’ll list thirty of the highest-paid currently active athletes, tell you a little bit about each and every one of them, as well as see just what makes them so great.

1. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor is a Mixed Martial Arts fighter, with his total earnings coming in at a whopping $180 million, most of which were made off the field. He has earned $22M on the field, which his off-the-field earnings total at $158m. He is one of the world’s most popular MMA fighters.

‍Personal Information

Current Age: 32

Professional Career Length: 13

Current Residence: Kildare, Ireland

Original Citizenship: Ireland

Marital Status: Engaged

Children: 3

Agent: Audie Attar

Agency: Paradigm Sports Management

Notable Sponsors: Beetroot Lab, Draftkings, Roots Of Fight

Most Notable Moments

Connor McGregor is one of the most notable and popular fighters across all combat sports, and he boasts a huge amount of awards. To make this short and sweet, we’ll focus on his most notable awards, which are:

Best Fighter ESPY Award 2016
VIP Style Award for Most Stylish Man 2014
Sherdog Breakthrough Of The Year 2014
World MMA Award for International Fighter of the Year 2014, 2016
MMAInsider.net Fight of the Year 2013

Top Achievements & Awards

Connor McGregor is one of three fighters in the history of the UFC to ever win the Featherweight title, one of nine to win the Lightweight title, and the only one to ever hold both at the same time. In fact, Connor McGregor is the only person in the history of UFC to hold two titles at the same time at all.

In regards to winning two titles in different weight classes, he is one of three people to do so alongside Randy Couture and B.J. Penn. Connor is also the only Irish UFC Champion.

2 times World MMA Award for International Fighter of the Year: 2014, 2016
The UFC featherweight champion (UFC 194 — Dec, 2015)
The UFC lightweight champion (UFC 205 — Nov, 2016)
The only fighter in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously
One of three fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes

Source: mmajunkie.usatoday.com

2. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is a legend of the soccer field. His total earnings come in at somewhere around $130 million, most of which were made on the field. His on-the-field earnings are $97M, while his off-the-field earnings are about $33million.

Personal Information

Current Age: 33

Professional Career Length: 17

Current Residence: Castelldefels, Spain

Original Citizenship: Argentina

Marital Status: Married

Children: 3

Agent: Jorge Horacio Messi

Notable Sponsors: Adidas, Anheuser Busch Inbev, Gatorade, Hard Rock Cafe Inc., Jacob & Co, Ooredoo, Pepsi

Most Notable Moments

Messi is one of the world’s most popular football players and is up there as one of the GOATs of the game. He has won FIFAs most prestigious player of the year title due to his high scoring, each time beating the previous record, which was also set by him.

Being this good of a player comes with its perks, the most notable of which are money. In early 2021, there was a contract leak that showed just how much Lionel made at Barcelona, an exorbitant amount sitting at $165m annually. Be that as it may, the contract that comes with this payment has expired in June, and now it’s not known just how much this top-baller makes.

He has a lifelong partnership with the german sports retailer Adidas and his own retail outlet called ‘The Messi Store’. Messi is also a major celebrity that has participated in spreading awareness about the ongoing SARS-COV-2 pandemic and has partnered with WHO on more than one occasion.

Top Achievements & Awards

Lionel Messi has an abundance of awards and honors, most of which he has won multiple times. Some of his most notable awards are:

2008 Olympic gold medalist
6 times Ballon d’Or awardee
2009 FIFA World Player of the Year
The Best FIFA Men's Player 2019
Two FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball awards, in 2009 and 2011
2014 World Cup Golden Ball

Source: Wikipedia

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

Just like Lionel Messi, there is no soccer fan that doesn’t know about Christiano Ronaldo. His total earnings come in at $120 million, most of which were made on the field. He has made $70m on the field and about $70m off the field.

Personal Information

Current Age: 36

Professional Career Length: 20

Current Residence: Turin, Italy

Original Citizenship: Portugal

Marital Status: In Relationship

Children: 4

Agent: Jorge Mendes

Agency: Gestifute

Notable Sponsors: Dazn, Herbalife, Mtg, Nike, Unilever

Most Notable Moments

Ronaldo is one of the first names that pops into one’s head when one thinks about soccer. This sportsman isn’t simply one of the best soccer players in the world; he is one of the biggest celebrities ever. In fact, he is the first person to reach over half a billion followers combined on social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Ronaldo is the only player to pass the legendary record set by Pele of a hat trick score in Serie A foe Cagliari of a whopping 770 goals across the competitions. He is worth a massive amount of money, and his reported annual salary is about $64m a year. What makes him even more popular is the fact that he has won the player of the year title issued by FIFA a whopping five times.

Furthermore, he was the first active team-sportsperson to have over a billion dollars in career earnings. He is also an entrepreneur that has a lifelong partnership with the sports brand Nike, as well as his own company CR7, which has gyms, sports clothes, and sporting equipment.

Top Achievements & Awards

When you think of soccer, you likely think of someone such as Christiano Ronaldo. CR7 has some of the most ludicrous awards of any soccer player and more than we can list in this article.

Christiano Ronaldo is one of the most accomplished soccer players in the history of the sport. He has won a whopping 29 career titles at the club level, which puts him up there with the best players in history.

He has won a total of five UEFA Champions League honors, as well as three different league titles in the countries of England, Italy, and Spain. The last but not least notable achievement of Ronaldo is the fact that he has won Ballon d’Or, a prestigious soccer award, a record number of five times.
‍

5 times Ballon d’Or awardee
2008 FIFA World Player of the Year
The Best FIFA Men's Player 2017
2016 FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball award

Source: newsbytesapp.com

4. Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott is a football legend with total earnings of an estimated $107.5 million, most of which were made on the field. His on-the-field earnings are $107.5m, while he has made around $10m off the field.

Personal Information

Current Age: 27

Professional Career Length: 6

Current Residence: United States

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Agent: Todd France

Agency: Athletes First

Notable Sponsors: Adidas, Albertsons, Anheuser Busch Inbev, At&T, Beats Electronics, Directv, Frito-lay, Panini, Pepsico

Most Notable Moments

Dak Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in recent history, and his paycheck most definitely shows that. He had recently signed a contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys, netting him a whopping $160 million dollars, and that’s not including the equally insane $66 million signing bonus.

In fact, Dak is one of the wealthiest NFL players, as his massive $107.5 in total earnings from April 2020 to April 2021 set a record for revenue in the NFL. He is also a pretty savvy investor, investing in the Texas-based casual dining restaurant chain called Walk On’s.

Top Achievements & Awards

Dak Prescott is a young yet accomplished football player with a wide range of awards, some of which are:

2 times Pro Bowl: 2016 and 2018
2016 Pepsi NFL Honors Rookie of the Year Award
2017 NFL Honors Rookie of the Year Award
2017 Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award

Source: Wikipedia

5. LeBron James

What Ronaldo is to soccer, LeBron is to basketball. This heavy hitter has made about $96.5 million in total, most of which were earned off the field. His on-the-field earnings are about $31.5m, while his off-the-field earnings are more than double that amount at 65 million dollars.

Personal Information

Current Age: 36

Professional Career Length: 17

Current Residence: Los Angeles, California

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Married

Children: 3

Agent: Rich Paul, Josh Pyatt, Brad Slater

Agency: Klutch Sports Group, WME

Notable Sponsors: 2k Sports, At&T, Beats Electronics, Blaze Pizza, Calm, GMC, Nike, Pepsico, Rimowa

Most Notable Moments

The basketball Legend LeBron has earned quite a lot of money in his entire career, but his most profitable moment was when he joined the Lakers on a four-year contract in 2018, which was worth a total of $153 million.

Outside of his team accomplishments, he has quite an interesting portfolio that has the biggest endorsement ranking in all of the NBA. Furthermore, he owns both a production company and a media company, SpringHill Entertainment and Uninterrupted.

LeBron has helped launch Ladder, a health and wellness company, alongside some other major celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwartzenegger.

Furthermore, he owns and runs a charity with his family known as the LeBron James Family Foundation that opened its own elementary school, as well as developed plans to donate $41m to sending young people to college.

Lastly, James owns 19 Blaze Pizza franchise locations across South Florida and Chicago, as well as a notable investor in the company and an endorsement personality.

Top Achievements & Awards

LeBron is a certified basketball giant with more MVP awards than most. His most notable awards are:

2 times Olympic gold medalist: 2008 and 2012
2006 FIBA World Cup bronze medalist
4 times NBA champion: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020
4 times NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP)
15 times All–NBA Selection
7 times Best NBA Player ESPY Award winner
4 times Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year awardee: 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020

This is made that much more special when you consider that LeBron is one of the eight players ever to have three or more MVPs.

He is the reigning youngest player to hold a massive amount of 17000 points.

Source: Wikipedia

6. Neymar Jr.

Neymar is yet another soccer legend on this list, with total earnings estimated at about $95M, most of which were made on the field. His on-the-field earnings come in at $76m, while his off-the-field earnings are four times smaller at only $19m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 29

Professional Career Length: 12

Current Residence: São Paulo, Brazil

Original Citizenship: Brazil

Marital Status: In a Relationship

Children: 1

Agent: Neymar Santos Sr.

Notable Sponsors: Epic Games, Flutter Entertainment, Puma, Qatar Airways, Red Bull, Triller

Most Notable Moments

Soccer players tend to be a bit eccentric in their antics, which usually leads them into superstardom. On the other hand, Neymar has always been known as a modest, young professional, but the books show us that his PSG contract is everything but modest. Just recently, in May, Neymar signed a contract extension with PSG until 2025.

Considering that his transfer from Barcelona to PSG is known as the most expensive transfer in the history of the sport, clocking in at a cool $263 million, it’s to be expected that his contract extension is quite the lucrative endeavor.

What makes this even more appealing is that the contract is jam-packed with performance bonuses to motivate the player and a winning bonus.

In more entrepreneurial news, Neymar announced that he would be leaving the brand Nike Jordan prematurely for Puma. This humble millionaire has also made an appearance as a skin in the smash-hit game Fortnite in 2021, joining their current cast.

Top Achievements & Awards

Neymar is a renowned soccer player with more than a couple of awards and achievements under his belt. His most significant rewards are:

2011 Ballon d’Or award winner
2017 FIFA FIFPro World 11 player
2011 FIFA Puskás Award winner (for scoring the "most beautiful" goal of the calendar year)

Besides his numerous awards, Neymar has continually been ranked as one of the best players in the game. He was a child prodigy in his native Brazil. His most notable achievement is reaching an astounding number of 39 goals during the 2014-15 season, leading Barcelona to victory. Furthermore, he scored ten goals in the Champions League, making him the top scorer for that year.

Source: thefamouspeople.com

7. Roger Federer

One of the two currently active male tennis titans, Roger Federer, has made around $90m in total, most of which were made off the field. His on-the-field earnings are estimated at 129.95 million dollars, most of which was donated away. His off-the-field earnings are about $90m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 39

Professional Career Length: 23

Current Residence: Residencevalbella, Switzerland

Original Citizenship: Switzerland

Marital Status: Married

Children: 4

Agent: Tony Godsick

Agency: Team 8

Notable Sponsors: Barilla, Credit Suisse Group (Ads), Jura, Lindt & Sprungli, Lvmh Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-benz, Netjets, On, Rimowa

Most Notable Moments

Stone cold as ever, the Swiss master of tennis Roger Federer has been neck-to-neck with Novak Djokovic for the top tennis player in the world. He has a significant sponsor portfolio that includes so many items and investments that it’s most likely the biggest one in the sports world – making Roger one of the highest-paid athletes today, and at one point, the highest-paid athlete in the world.

He signed with the Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, which needed him back in 2018 under a decade-long partnership worth $300 million for Rodger.

Tennis itself is one of the less lucrative sports compared to soccer and basketball, but Federer has managed to win a stunning $130 million in prize money alone. Most of his millions were made off the playing field, making him one of the wealthiest players in modern sports.

Roger Federer is also a noteworthy entrepreneur with investments in many different things, most notably the Swiss sportswear company On – which is set to go public in the fall of this year.

Top Achievements & Awards

Roger Federer is a top-shelf tennis player and is renowned as one of the best players to ever participate in the sport. His awards speak for him, as he has so many of them. Some of the most notable awards he holds are:

2008 Olympic gold medalist (in Men's Doubles)
2012 Olympic silver medalist (in Men's Singles)
5 times ITF World Champion in singles
Holds 20 men's Grand Slam singles titles
Holds the world's second highest number of Guinness World records within one discipline — 24 performance based records

Source: Wikipedia

8. Lewis Hamilton

The seemingly unbeatable auto racing legend Lewis Hamilton has made about $82m, $70m of which were made on the track, and $12m of which were made off the track.

Personal Information

Current Age: 36

Professional Career Length: 14

Current Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Original Citizenship: United Kingdom

Marital Status: In a Relationship

Children: 1

Agent: -

Notable Sponsors: Bose, Mercedes-Benz, Monster Energy, Police, Puma, Sony, Tommy Hilfiger, Vodafone-USD

Most Notable Moments

Lewis Hamilton is without a doubt the most famous F1 driver in the world today and is one of the best in the history of the sport. Up there, with the greats such as Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton is slowly going for the sports records.

He has actually become Schumacher’s equal, winning his seventh Formula 1 title in 2020, making the two tied in the number of titles.

Even after his recent loss, he had signed a one-year extension for his Mercedes F1 team in February of this year. He also collaborates with fashion giant Tommy Hilfiger that reportedly netted him a nice profit back in 2018.

Top Achievements & Awards

Lewis Hamilton is a certified F1 racing legend, and even with his relatively few years in the professional sport, he is up there with the titans of the industry. He has earned a range of awards, the most notable of which are:

Holds the record for the most Formula One Grand Prix race wins in history — 99 wins
7 times Formula One World Drivers' Championship winner
2 times Best Auto Racing Driver ESPY Award winner: 2017 and 2021

Source: Wikipedia

9. Tom Brady

The super bowl stunner and champion of modern football, Tom Brady, has earned a reported $76m in total, most of which were made on the field. His on-the-field earnings come in at $45m, while his off-the-field earnings are estimated at around $31m. This on the field and off the field ratio is one of the closest on the list.

Personal Information

Current Age: 43

Professional Career Length: 21 years

Current Residence: Tampa, Florida

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Married

Children: 3

Agent: Don Yee, Jason Hodes

Agency: Yee & Dublin, WME

Notable Sponsors: Christopher Cloos, Fanatics, Iwc Schaffhausen, T-mobile, Under Armour, Wheels Up

Most Notable Moments

Tom Brady is one of the most popular faces and names in the NFL, and he has been in the news recently. His transfer from the Patriots to the Buccaneers a year ago was highly controversial, yet it proved to be a good career choice as the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, netting Tom Brady his seventh Super Bowl win.

He signed a very lucrative contract extension with Tampa Bay in 2021, but this isn’t the end of his entrepreneurial ventures. He is one of the few professional sportspeople to dabble in cryptocurrencies, launching his own NFT company called Autograph soon. With individual NFTs yielding hundreds, and at times, millions of dollars, it’s safe to say that Tom Brady is keeping up with the times.

Other than NFTs, he has his own lifestyle brand called TB12, as well as 199 Productions, his production company.

Top Achievements & Awards

Tom Brady is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks of all time. His many rewards, awards, and achievements only serve to remind us just how good Tom Brady is at what he does. His most notable awards are:

AP Most Valuable Player 2018, 2010, 2007
Best NFL Player ESPY Award 2018, 2008
NFL Comeback Player of The Year 2009
Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award 2010, 2007
Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year 2005
Bert Bell Award 2007
Male Athlete of the Year 2007
Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award 2002

Source: britannica.com

10. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is a certified basketball legend with one of the most prolific careers of all active players. His total earnings are ranked at $75m, most of which were made off the field, as is the usual case with basketball players. His on-the-field earnings were $31m, while his off-the-field earnings are slightly larger at about $44m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 32

Professional Career Length: 14

Current Residence: New York, New York

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Agent: Rich Kleiman, Josh Pyatt

Agency: Thirty Five Ventures, WME

Notable Sponsors: 2K Sports, Degree, Master & Dynamic, Nike

Most Notable Moments

Kevin Durant is one of the best players that the Golden State Warriors have ever produced and one of the best players in the history of basketball. He left the Warriors in 2019 to join the Nets, yielding him a cool four-year-long contract worth over 164 million dollars.

Sadly, this all-star player was sidelined in the 2019-20 season after suffering an injury to his Achilles in the 2019 finals, but he was back better than ever in 2020-21.

Kevin Durant is known for having more than a couple of major sponsors, netting him over $40m from sponsorships alone. His entrepreneurial portfolio is also pretty substantial, as he holds a stake in over forty different companies.

He has also dabbled in the world of cinema, producing the live-action short film called “Two Distant Strangers,” which took home the Oscar in its category film in 2021. This basketball player is a major soccer fan, and he holds a nice steak in Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union.

Top Achievements & Awards

Being one of the world’s most accomplished basketball players yields you a lot of rewards. Kevin Durant has so many rewards, in fact, that listing all of them would make his entry on this list substantially longer than that of others, which is why we’ve focused on his NBA awards you can find below.

2 times Olympic gold medalist: 2012 and 2016
2010 FIBA World Cup winner
2 times NBA champion: 2017 and 2018
2014 Best NBA Player ESPY Award winner
2014 NBA Most Valuable Player
9 times All-NBA selection
2016 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year

Source: Wikipedia

11. Stephen Curry

Yet another basketball player on our list, Stephen Curry, is regarded as one of the best active players in the NBA. His total earnings are sitting at $74.5m, most of which were made off the field. His on-the-field earnings are $34.5m, while his off-the-field earnings are about $40m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 33

Professional Career Length: 12

Current Residence: Atherton, California

Original Citizenship: Married

Marital Status: 3

Children: 3

Agent: Jeff Austin

Agency: Octagon

Notable Sponsors: Callaway Golf, Carmax, Google, Oxigen Beverages Inc., Under Armour

Most Notable Moments

Steph Curry is a two-time MVP and a certified NBA legend. He is known to have one of the biggest salaries in the history of the NBA, with a whopping 200 million dollar contract signed in 2017.

He owns SC30, an investment and brand partnership company that handles mostly his own entrepreneurial endeavors and participates in philanthropy and donations.

He has a unique partnership with Under Armour that is akin to Jordan’s partnership with Nike. This partnership has produced a line of Stephen Curry Under Armour products.

He owns a production company called Unanimous Media which has partnered with Sony in a development deal. The company has moved into podcasts and audio content with Audible, Amazon’s Podcasting company.

Top Achievements & Awards

Steph Curry has more achievements than you can count, as is tradition for basketball players. Again, just like in Durants situation, we’ve decided to focus mostly on his NBA awards, which are:

2 times FIBA World Cup winner: 2010 and 2014
3 times NBA champion: 2015, 2017, and 2018
2 times Best NBA Player ESPY Award winner: 2015 and 2021
2 times NBA Most Valuable Player: 2015 and 2016
7 times All-NBA selection
2015 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year awardee

Source: nbcsports.com

12. Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is a young, up-and-coming, yet certified WTA legend with current total earnings estimated at around $60m, most of which were made off of the field. Her on-the-field earnings are about $5m, whereas her off-the-field earnings are eleven times greater at a whopping $55m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 23

Professional Career Length: 8

Current Residence: Los Angeles, California

Original Citizenship: Japan

Marital Status: Single

Children: /

Agent: Stuart Duguid

Agency: WME-Ing

Notable Sponsors: AirBNB, All Nippon Airways, Beats Electronics, Bodyarmor, Frankies Bikinis, Godaddy, Google, Hyperice, Levi Strauss & Co

Most Notable Moments

Naomi Osaka is a rising star in the world of tennis, with more accomplishments than most players with careers twice as long as hers.

She has earned a pretty penny for her time in the sport, yielding an estimated $5m-$10m in prize money, which is dwarfed by the $50m she has earned for all of her many partnerships.

One of Naomi’s more exciting partnerships is her partnership with Mattel, which created a Nomi Osaka Barbie Doll for the upcoming Olympics in 2021, which sold out minutes after it was released to the public.

Top Achievements & Awards

Naomi Osaka is a well-awarded player with some of the most prestigious awards that the world of tennis has to offer. Some of her most notable awards are:

2020 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year awardee
2020 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year awardee
2021 Best Female Athlete ESPY Award winner
2021 Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award winner

Source: ispo.com‍

13. Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is the world’s most famous golf player, perhaps the most popular player in the sport’s history. His total earnings are estimated at around 60.2m, most of which were made off the field. On the field, Tiger Woods has made a meager $200k, while off the field, he has made three hundred times more totaling $60m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 45

Professional Career Length: 25

Current Residence: Jupiter Island, Florida

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Divorced

Children: 2

Agent: Mark Steinberg

Agency: Excel Sports Management

Notable Sponsors: 2k Sports, Bridgestone, Centinel Spine, Discovery Communications, Inc, Full Swing, Hero Motocorp, Kowa Company Ltd., Monster Energy, Nike

Most Notable Moments

The world’s most famous golf player has quite a controversial history behind him, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one very wealthy athlete. He has been sidelined earlier this year for suffering severe injuries in a car crash. Luckily, he has recovered faster than expected and will likely make a full recovery in the following few months.

Even while bedridden, he has managed to make a deal with PGA Tour 2K, the popular golfing video game franchise, to feature himself in their latest game version. He has netted an insane amount of prize money in his twenty-five-year career and even more from endorsements and sponsorships.

Lastly, Tiger Woods has designed a public golf course called Paynes Valley in Missouri. The park was opened to the public in 2020.

Top Achievements & Awards

Tiger Woods has an insane amount of awards, some of which are very atypical and rare for sportspeople. His most notable awards are:

2019 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
7 times World Golf Championship winner
3 times Career Grand Slams Winner with 15 major titles under the belt
4 times Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year awardee: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2006
2 times Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year awardee: 1996 and 2000

Source: golfweek.usatoday.com

14. Russell Westbrook

Russel Westbrook is a prominent basketball player with total earnings estimated at $59m, most of which were made on the field, atypical for basketball players. He has made about $33m on the field and about $26m off the field.

Personal Information

Current Age: 32

Professional Career Length: 13

Current Residence: Los Angeles, California

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Married

Children: 3

Agent: Had Foucher

Agency: Wasserman

Notable Sponsors: Nike

Most Notable Moments

Westbrook is a notable basketball player who had the most lucrative contract extension at Thunder, worth a whopping $207m at the time, making it the biggest NBA contract in value.

Westbrook is a nine-time all-star winner who has a deal with Nike’s Jordan brand, receiving his trademark signature shoe.

Furthermore, he is the only person to average a triple-double in three seasons in a row in the history of the entire sport. He has also won an Olympic gold medal.

His entrepreneurial ventures are vast, as he owns a whopping ten different car dealerships across the entirety of LA, netting him a hefty annual profit.

Top Achievements & Awards

This Olympic Gold medalist has netted himself a huge number of awards, the most important of which are:

2012 Olympic gold medalist
2010 FIBA World Cup winner
2021 Best Record-Breaking Performance ESPY Award winner
2017 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP)
9 times All–NBA Selection

Source: Wikipedia

15. Patrick Mahomes

The Baby GOAT, Patrick Mahomes, is a Super Bowl legend. His football career has yielded him about $55.4m in total, most of which were made on the field. His on-the-field earnings are sitting at about $32.5m, while his off-the-field earnings are at $22m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 25

Professional Career Length: 4

Current Residence: Kansas City, Missouri

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Married

Children: 1

Agent: Chris Cabott

Agency: Steinberg Sports & Entertainment

Notable Sponsors: Adidas, Airshare, Biosteel, Bose, Community America Credit Union, Directv, Electronic Arts, Geha, Hy-vee

Most Notable Moments

While Mahomes wasn’t the best player this year, his portfolio seems to show otherwise. He has continued getting very profitable endorsements from top-shelf companies. The worth of an up-and-coming football player isn’t determined by their shortcomings but by their achievements, of which there are many when you’re the upstart superstar of the NFL.

Patrick Mahomes has a very lucrative deal made after his 2020 SuperBowl win, which has yielded him a pretty hefty return, especially considering that right after this, he added a big equity deal into his portfolio with BioSteel Sports Nation.

Furthermore, he signed a brand new deal with the Chiefs that is worth a reported $503 million, one of the largest deals in the history of the NFL.

Top Achievements & Awards

The baby GOAT is one of the freshest new superstars on the playing field, and his awards show that. His most prestigious awards are:

2019 Superbowl Winner
2018 NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP)
2020 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year awardee
2019 Best NFL Player ESPY Award winner

Source: Wikipedia

16. James Harden

James Harden is an NBA Basketball legend who has earned around $51m in total, most of which were made on the field. He has made $33m on the field and $18m off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 31

Professional Career Length: 12

Current Residence: Houston, Texas

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Children: /

Agent: /

Agency: /

Notable Sponsors: Adidas, Beats Electronics, BodyArmor, Gopuff, Shanghai Pudong Development, State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance

Most Notable Moments

James Harden is a top-shelf NBA player that is known for his investments and entrepreneurship, almost as much as he is known for his professional sports career. As of 2017, he is partnered with Amazon to promote and sell his favorite workout products, including some high sports clothing from Adidas and BodyArmor, his two biggest endorsers.

His transfer was also widely covered in the media as it netted him a cool $171 to leave the Rockets for the Nets. The contract is reportedly full of bonuses as well.

His most prominent sponsor, Adidas, signed him in 2015 for an endorsement deal that will last up until 2028, worth an estimated $200 million.

Top Achievements & Awards

While Harden isn’t the best player in the history of basketball, he sure has earned quite a prestigious amount of awards, the most notable of which are:

2012 Olympic gold medalist
2014 FIBA World Cup winner
2018 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP)
7 times All–NBA Selection

Source: sportytell.com

17. David Bakhtiari

One of the best offensive players that football has ever seen, David Bakhtiari, has made a total of $48.5M in his entire career, almost all of which were made on the field. He has made $48m on the playing field and only $500k off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 29

Professional Career Length: 8

Current Residence: /

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Children: /

Agent: /

Agency: /

Notable Sponsors: /

Most Notable Moments

Bakhtiari, also known as the juggernaut, is a gentle giant. While his imposing size has definitely helped him gain respect on the playing field, it’s his deal-making capabilities that make him shine. He has a four-year contract extension with the Packers, which was worth over $105 million at the time of making, which makes him very successful when taking into account his young age.

Another thing that stands out about this contract extension is the fact that it’s chock full of bonuses, and even more bonuses were added with the deal restructuring that took place in 2021.

Considering his position on the field, that of the offensive lineman, he yields a record annual profit in that specific position.

Top Achievements & Awards

David is relatively young, but that hasn’t stopped him from accumulating a wide range of top-shelf rewards such as:

2 times First–team All–Pro: 2018 and 2020
3 times Pro Bowl: 2016, 2019, 2020

Source: packers.com

18. Ronnie Stanley

Ronnie Stanley, the tackling titan of the NFL, has earned a total of $47.5m, almost all of which were earned on the playing field. He has made $47m on the field, while his off-the-field total is at $500k.

Personal Information

Current Age: 27

Professional Career Length: 5

Current Residence: /

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Children: /

Agent: KM Mile

Agency: Roc Nation Sports

Notable Sponsors: /

Most Notable Moments

Ronnie Stanley is one of the best offensive tacklers that the NFL has ever seen. He is a part of the Ravens and has just recently signed a contract extension in 2020 that is reported to be worth over $100 million.

Sadly, this juggernaut has missed a big chunk of the 2020 season due to an ankle injury, but doctors expect that he will be up and running in the 2021 season.

Ronnie Stanley isn’t known for his many entrepreneurial ventures outside of his native sport. Yet, he is known as one of the finest tacklers that the NFL has ever seen, yielding him a pretty high salary from his sport alone.

Top Achievements & Awards

Ronnie is a top-shelf offensive tackler and has numerous rewards to show for it. Some of his most notable rewards are:

2019 First–team All–Pro
2019 Pro Bowl

Source: rocnation.com

19. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The greek freak has been dominating the world of basketball for some time now and has earned a reported $47m from his entire career so far, most of which were made off the field. His on-the-field earnings total in at $22m, while his off-the-field earnings are at a reported $25m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 26

Professional Career Length: 9

Current Residence: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Original Citizenship: Greece

Marital Status: In Relationship

Children: 1

Agent: Alex Saratsis

Agency: Octagon

Notable Sponsors: Anheuser Busch Inbev, Come Ready Foods Llc, Electronic Arts, Gr. Sarantis S.A., Greek From Greece Café Cuisine, Jbl, Mytilineos S.A., Nike, TCL

Most Notable Moments

Remember when Jordan was just starting out, and the hype was like nothing we had ever seen in the NBA? Well, a similar thing is happening, only this time it’s the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Giannis is one of the most promising players in recent NBA history with one of the fattest salaries we’ve seen in a contract – a whopping $228 million supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks.

He also won the MVP for both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. This remarkable achievement was only made better when he was named the best defensive player of the year in 2019-2020.

When he won his first MVP, he got a very lucrative endorsement extension by Nike, who shortly after this released the Zoom Freak 1, a signature shoe that sold out seconds after release.

This is one of the few basketball players to get their own movie, as Disney actually got the rights to make a biopic about him set to release in 2022.

Top Achievements & Awards

The Greek Freak is one of the brightest up-and-comers in the NBA with quite the backdrop of awards. Some of his most notable awards are:

2021 NBA champion
2 times NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP): 2019 and 2020
5 times All–NBA Selection
2019 Best NBA Player ESPY Award winner

Source: nba.com

20. Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson is the second most popular golf player in the world, with total earnings estimated at a cool $44.5 million, most of which were made playing golf. He has made $24.5m on the field and $20m off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 36

Professional Career Length: 5

Current Residence: Beach, Florida

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Engaged

Children: 2

Agent: David Winkle

Agency: Hambric Sports Management

Notable Sponsors: Adidas, Bodyarmor, Hublot, Netjets, Perfect Practice, RBC, Taylormade

Most Notable Moments

Dustin Johnson is one of the most prominent gold players in the sport’s history, only second to Tiger Woods. Being the second most popular person in a sport comes with its perks, especially those financial in nature.

Winning the FedEx Cup in 2020 is one of them, which yielded Dustin a pretty nice paycheck worth approximately $15 million. Just a couple of months after winning the $15m in prize money from the FedEx Cup, he won the Masters, yielding him another pretty lucrative prize.

Dustin also has a partnership with a putting mat company called Perfect Practise, as well as a deal extension with TaylorMade both in 2021, both of which have yielded him a nice cash return.

Top Achievements & Awards

While nowhere near as awarded as Tiger Woods, Dustin still boasts a remarkable number of awards in his sport of choice. Some of the most notable rewards Dustin has are:

6 times World Golf Championships winner
2 times PGA Tour Player of the Year: 2016 and 2020

Source: Wikipedia

21. Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson is a seasoned basketball player and is regarded as one of the best in the game. His total earnings are at around $44.5m, most of which were made on the field. He has made $28.5m on the field and $16m off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 31

Professional Career Length: 8

Current Residence: Oakland, California

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Children: /

Agent: Greg Lawrence

Agency: Wasserman

Notable Sponsors: Activision Blizzard, Anta Sports Products, Bevel, Fanatics, Hasbro, Kaiser Permanente, Mercedes-Benz, Tissot, Waiakea Water

Most Notable Moments

Klay Thompson is known as one of the best shooters that the NBA has ever seen and still reigns supreme as one of the record-breakers in the shooting category. Back in 2019, Klay resigned his contract with the Golden State Warriors at $190m.

Sadly, Klay had one of the worst injuries a basketball player could endure, an Achilles heel torsion which prevented him from playing the 2020-2021 season. Even with the injury, he has managed to add many interesting and quite lucrative endorsements to his portfolio, most notably the NERF, BEvel, and Waiakea Water partnerships.

He is also an entrepreneur, starting the company Just Live CBD in 2019. Furthermore, he has an exclusive partnership with Anta, a Chinese shoe brand, which yielded him a cool $80 million dollars before any royalties and bonuses.

Top Achievements & Awards

Being one of the best shooters that the NBA has ever seen will get you far in life, and you’ll likely get the awards to show for it. If you’re Klay Thomspon, you’ll get a whole lot of awards, such as:

2016 Olympic gold medalist
2014 FIBA World Cup winner
3 times NBA champion: 2015, 2017, 2018
2 times All–NBA Selection: 2015 and 2016

Source: Wikipedia

22. Joey Bosa

The young gun, Joey Bosa, is already making his name in the NFL. At just twenty-five years old, his total earnings are estimated at a whopping $44m, most of which were made on the field. He has made $43m on the field and only $1m off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 25

Professional Career Length: 8

Current Residence: /

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Children: /

Agent: Brian Ayrault

Agency: WME Sports

Notable Sponsors: Gamebreaker, Nike, Panini, Rock-Tenn

Most Notable Moments

Joey Bosa is an NFL superstar and record holder. He signed with the Chargers for another five years in 2020, a deal worth $135m, which was the highest amount in the NFL at that time.

He comes from NFL royalty, as his brother Nick bosa is also a certified NFL legend that has made his bones in the 49ers.

Top Achievements & Awards

Bosa boasts an enviable number of awards, especially when you consider his young age. Some of the most prominent awards in his trophy cabinet are:

2 times First–team All–Pro: 2019 and 2020
3 times Pro Bowl: 2017, 2019 and 2020

Source: Wikipedia

23. Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving is an unsung hero of the NBA. While he is not as popular as other players on this list, his finances are still pretty impressive. He has made a total of $44m, 27 of which were made on the field and 17 of which were made off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 29

Professional Career Length: 10

Current Residence: Westlake, Ohio

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Single

Children: 1

Agent: Jay Z

Agency: Roc Nation Sports

Notable Sponsors: Nike, Panini, Pepsi

Most Notable Moments

Kyrie Irving, a controversial figure in the world of basketball, is one of the most endorsed players of all time. In fact, just signing a new four-year contract with the Nets earned him $141 million, way more than his two years with the Boston Celtics before that.

Kyrie Irving has changed a lot of teams in his professional history. He has been a part of the Nets, the Celtics, and the Cavaliers, and each of these teams paid him a hefty sum.

He is endorsed by Nike and has one of the best-selling NBA sportsman shoes of all time, both for consumers and other basketball players. He has appeared in numerous commercials over the years, the most important of which is his Pepsi commercial, where he played an elderly character. The character was so popular that he is set to appear in a feature film, and as Kyrie Irving holds some rights to the character, he has received royalties for it.

The film had earned a reported $47m, yet it’s unclear how much of that went to Irving.

Top Achievements & Awards

Kyrie has a lot of rewards under his belt. Aside from being a top player for the NBA, his achievements in getting some of the biggest awards in the NBA warrants a mention as well. Some of his most prestigious awards are:

2016 Olympic gold medalist
2014 FIBA World Cup winner
2016 NBA champion
2 times All–NBA Selection: 2015 and 2019
2014 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year

Source: nba.com

24. Jalen Ramsey

Jalen Ramsey, an NFL giant, has made a total of $43.5m in his five-year career, most of which were made on the field. He has made a reported $42 million on the field and somewhere in the range of $1.5m off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 26

Professional Career Length: 5

Current Residence: /

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Married

Children: 2

Agent: David Mulugheta

Agency: Athletes First

Notable Sponsors: Activision Blizzard, BioSteel, Grubhub, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Rally Rd.

Most Notable Moments

The NFL beast, Jalen Ramsey, is almost as known for his lucrative contracts as his outstanding plays. He is a seasoned Rams player and has recently signed a new contract extension with them worth a reported 105 million dollars.

This All-Pro cornerback has played in four different super bowls, which is more than most professional players, yielding him a lot of money for each appearance.

Like most of his NFL colleagues, he has many endorsements and de and as equity deals in BioSteel Sports nutrition. His entrepreneurial achievements don’t end there, though, as he has a stake in the alternative investment platform called Rally, which deals with appreciating assets in a unique, new-age way.

Top Achievements & Awards

This juggernaut is an industry professional, and you can clearly see it if you sneak a peek at his many awards:

2 times First–team All–Pro: 2017 and 2020
4 times Pro Bowl: 2017—2020

Source: Wikipedia ‍

25. Trent Williams

Trent Williams is a certified NFL juggernaut with total earnings coming in at $43.5m, most of which were made on the field. His on-the-field earnings are sitting at $42.5m, while his off-the-field earnings are at $1m.

Personal Information

Current Age: 32

Professional Career Length: 11

Current Residence: Houston, Texas

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: /

Children: /

Agent: Vince Taylor

Agency: Elite Loyalty Sports Management

Notable Sponsors: /

Most Notable Moments

Trent Williams is undoubtedly the most popular player on the 49ers and arguably their best offensive tackles. He has signed a contract extension with the 49ers worth an estimated $138 million that lasts until 2027.

He had played the position for every year from 2011 till 2020 except one, making him one of the most active players in the game.

Unlike many of his colleagues and playmates, Trent has stemmed from the sport to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, such as his investments in the NBA Top Shots and the collectibles manufacturer known as Dapper Labs.

He has a broad investment portfolio, including a wide range of apartment complexes, single-family homes, and other valuable real estate.

Top Achievements & Awards

This industry veteran has quite the selection of awards, some of which are:

2015 Second–team All–Pro
8 times Pro Bowl

Source: gocolgateraiders.com

26. Myles Garrett

Yet another NFL star on our list, Myles Garett, has left his mark on football in four years more than most have in their entire careers. This hot-shot has made an estimated $43 million in his career, almost all of which were made on the field. His on-the-field earnings are estimated at $42.5m, with his off-the-field earnings coming in at $500k.

Personal Information

Current Age: 25

Professional Career Length: 5

Current Residence: Wadsworth, Ohio

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: /

Children: /

Agent: /

Agency: /

Notable Sponsors: /

Most Notable Moments

Myles Garrett is a remarkable NFL player known to keep to himself, so we don’t know much about his deals and ventures. We know that he recently signed a five-year contract with the Browns worth a reported $125 million.

His seasons also seem to be worth quite a lot, earning an estimated 42.5 million dollars, about $10.7 million each Pro Bowl season he has played.

Top Achievements & Awards

Myles has a modest range of awards, as is normal for NFL players. His most prestigious awards are:

2020 First–team All–Pro
2 times Pro Bowl: 2018 and 2020

Source: clevelandbrowns.com

27. Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is a young gun in the world of auto-racing and has already captivated the hearts of his many fans. His total earnings are estimated at $42.5, most of which were made on the track. He has made a reported $41.5m on the field and only $1m off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 23

Professional Career Length: 7

Current Residence: Netherlands

Original Citizenship: Netherlands

Marital Status: /

Children: /

Agent: /

Agency: /

Notable Sponsors: /

Most Notable Moments

Max Verstappen is an F1 sweetheart that’s beloved by his fans and the fans of other teams equally. He is the youngest driver to have ever competed in a professional F1 race, coming into the sport at only 17 years of age.

Furthermore, he is the youngest F1 winner in the sport’s history, winning his first race at only 18 years old back in 2016.

Max is one of the best drivers that the Red Bull team has ever had, getting 3rd place in 2020 for Red Bull Racing. While he doesn’t have many endorsements outside of his team, it’s safe to assume that his third-place position has yielded him a pretty lucrative bonus from the group, as it’s the highest place that the team has reached in years.

Top Achievements & Awards

Max Verstappen boasts a modest amount of awards considering his young age – the most important of which are:

The youngest Formula 1 driver in history and the youngest winner of a Grand Prix
15 times Formula One Grand–Prix winner

Source: Wikipedia

28. Serena Williams

Serena Williams is the most popular name in female tennis and has been in the sport since she was a child. Her total earnings are estimated at $41.5 million, most of which were made off the field. She has made about $1.5m on the field and a whopping $40 million off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 39

Professional Career Length: 26

Current Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Married

Children: 1

Agent: Jill Smaller

Agency: WME-Img

Notable Sponsors: Abbvie, Anheuser Busch Inbev, At&T, Audemars Piguet, Away, Beats Electronics, Bumble, Ford Motor, Gatorade

Most Notable Moments

Serena Williams is one of the world’s most famous tennis players and has been a top-shelf player for decades. She boasts double digits of corporate partnerships, which have made her almost $100 million in total.

She is the most awarded female tennis player that has netted over $94 million in prize money over the years.

Serena is also a widely known entrepreneur that has invested in over fifty different startups through her investment company, Serena Ventures.

She was a significant investor in the NFT platform Bitski, has an exclusive TV deal with Amazon Series, and a clothing line, S by Serena.

Top Achievements & Awards

Serena Williams is a sports veteran with more awards than one can count. For this reason, we’ve decided only to highlight her most prestigious awards, which are:

3 times Olympic gold medalist (in Women's Doubles)
2012 Olympic gold medalist (in Women's Singles)
6 times ITF World Champion in singles
Holds 23 women's Grand Slam singles titles
10 times Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award winner
2015 Associated Press Sportsman of the Year awardee

Source: britannica.com

29. Phil Mickelson

The last golf star on our list, Phil Mickelson, is nothing to scoff at. One of the oldest still active golf players, this seasoned sports veteran has made a reported $41 million in his career, $40m of which were made off of the field, and the remaining $1m of which were made off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 51

Professional Career Length: 29

Current Residence: Rancho Santa Fe, California

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Married

Children: 3

Agent: Steve Loy

Agency: Sportfive

Notable Sponsors: Amgen, Callaway Golf, Grayhawk Golf Club, Heineken N.V., Intrepid Financial Partners, Kpmg, Melin, Mizzen+Main, Rolex

Most Notable Moments

Phil Mickelson is the PGA reigning champion, winning the last season in 2021, cementing him as the oldest PGA winner in the sport’s history. This old-timer has one of the most lucrative track records in golf, with a net worth second only to Tiger Woods.

His total prize money won is estimated at over $94 million, which is completely dwarfed by the massive amount he has earned off the field, estimated to be around 800 million dollars.

He is partnered with quite a lot of different companies, most notably VistaJet. He has a lot of equity in his portfolio, and his entrepreneurial ventures include funding and founding the successful company Coffee For Wellness.

Top Achievements & Awards

The oldest still active golf champion has an enviable number of awards, some of which are:

2 times World Golf Championship winner: 2009 and 2018
45 times PGA Tour events winner
3 times Best Male Golfer ESPY Award winner
The oldest major PGA championship winner in history

Source: golfweek.usatoday.com

30. Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard is a basketball player who has earned a total of $40.5m in his entire career, most of which were on the field. He has made $25.5m on the field and about $15m off of it.

Personal Information

Current Age: 30

Professional Career Length: 9

Current Residence: Lake Oswego, Oregon

Original Citizenship: United States

Marital Status: Engaged

Children: 3

Agent: Aaron Goodwin

Agency: Goodwin Sports Management

Notable Sponsors: 2k Sports, Adidas, Moda Health, Spalding

Most Notable Moments

Damian Lillard is a basketball legend that boasts one of the broadest portfolios in the NBA. Currently under contract with the TrailBlazers for the 2024-25 season, which is expected to yield him at least $40m a year.

He is also the proud owner of an Adidas signature shoe line that is one of the most profitable NBA shoe line sellers. There are more than a few Lillard shoes, which are released almost every season.

This is one of the few NBA players with a semi-successful Rap career. Damian has released three albums under the moniker Dame DOLLA, all of which gained moderate success.

He is also a big fan of the Special Olympics as well as their global ambassador.

Top Achievements & Awards

With almost a decade under his belt in the NBA, Damian has more awards than most. Some of his most notable awards are:

2018/2019 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award winner
6 times All–NBA Selection
2020/2021 Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award winner

Source: essentiallysports.com

Highest paid active athletes [Infographic]

Conclusion

If you’re in awe at the size of these athletes’ paychecks, you should reread their achievements. It’s insanely difficult to be at the top of the business game while being at the top of your game, especially if you’re competing against hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of other people.

All of these athletes have insanely high paychecks, and they owe it all to their careers, which were undoubtedly crafted through years of strenuous training, discipline, and hardship. These are by no means the highest-paid athletes ever; they’re just the highest-paid athletes that are currently active in their respective sport.