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30 Richest Athletes in the World

Athletes are some of the most popular and admired people in the world. They are often seen as role models for their athleticism, dedication, and hard work. The world’s richest athletes are some of the most talented and successful people in the world. They have achieved greatness in their respective sports, and they have been rewarded handsomely for their accomplishments. Most of the names on this list are household names familiar to most people, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and LeBron James.

Their wealth comes from a variety of sources, including salaries, endorsements, and appearance fees. The wealth of these athletes has a significant impact on the global economy. They create jobs, generate tax revenue, and promote their sports worldwide. They also use their wealth to support charitable causes and make a difference in the lives of others. Read more in this article we look at the top 30 richest athletes in the world as sourced from Forbes.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – Net Worth: $136M

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. In February 2021, Ronaldo became the first person in the world to reach 500 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. As of April 2022, he had 849 million.

Ronaldo, a five-time FIFA player of the year, in 2020 became the first active team sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings. In addition to a lifetime deal with Nike, Ronaldo makes money off the pitch with his CR7-branded clothing, accessories, hotels and gyms.

2. Lionel Messi –  Net Worth: $130M

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Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Messi claimed the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best soccer player for a record seventh time in 2021, putting him two ahead of his rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

When he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain from FC Barcelona, a contract leak in January 2021 showed Messi was making much more at Barcelona than previously thought; he was able to earn up to $165 million annually in salary and incentives. In March 2022, he signed an endorsement deal with fan engagement app Socios that is set to pay him $20 million annually. He launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, the Messi Store, in 2019 in Barcelona. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas.

3. Kylian Mbapp̩ РNet Worth: $120M

Kylian Mbappé is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the France national team. Regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is renowned for his dribbling abilities, exceptional speed, and finishing strong. 

At just 24, Mbappe has become the face of French soccer, collecting three Ligue 1 Player of the Year Awards and leading the league in scoring four times in four years, while setting himself up for a fifth goals title in 2022-23. He is partnered with brands including Nike and Hublot. In 2020, EA Sports picked him for the cover of FIFA 21, making him one of the youngest ever to grace that brand’s cover solo.

4. LeBron James – Net Worth: $119.5M

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LeBron James Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. James has reportedly earned more than $430 million in pretax salary from stints with the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers. He has raked in upwards of $900 million pretax off the court, according to Forbes estimates from business ventures and endorsement deals with the likes of PepsiCo, Walmart and Nike.

James has been more than a pitchman, taking equity in brands he works with, including Beats by Dre and the fast-growing Blaze Pizza chain. His LeBron James Family Foundation opened its first elementary school in 2018 and has pledged to spend more than $40 million to send kids to college.

5. Canelo Alvarez – Net Worth: $110M

Canelo Alvarez is a Mexican professional boxer. He has won multiple world championships in four weight classes from light middleweight to light heavyweight, including unified titles in three of those weight classes and lineal titles in two. The boxing champion can make tens of millions of dollars each time he fights. In September 2022, he signed with Excel Sports Management to represent him in his marketing deals, becoming the first boxer on the roster of the powerhouse agency.

Alvarez has a lucrative partnership with Hennessy and owns a taco restaurant in his native Mexico. With Canelo Promotions and Canelo Espectaculos, he promotes boxing matches, concerts and other events. He also has his own clothing line, partnered with a fintech firm to introduce a branded credit card and is behind sports drink maker Yaoca and fitness app I Can. He also has multiple real estate investments. 

6. Dustin Johnson – Net Worth: $107M

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Dustin Johnson is an American professional golfer. He has won two major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 and the 2020 Masters Tournament with a record score of 268, 20-under-par. 

Johnson captured the FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize in 2020. Two months later, he claimed his second major title with a victory at the Masters, which had been delayed from its usual slot in April by the pandemic. He made an even bigger splash with his 2022 jump to the upstart LIV Golf, netting a huge upfront payment for signing with the Saudi-backed tour and taking home over $35 million in LIV prize money and bonuses for the season.

7. Phil Mickelson – Net Worth: $106M

Phil Mickelson is an American professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf League. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six major championships: three Masters titles, two PGA Championships, and one Open Championship. 

He began playing on the LIV Golf tour in 2022, serving as captain of the Hy Flyers GC team. His PGA prize money totalling over $96 million leaves him behind only Tiger Woods in tour history. But his biggest paydays have been off the course, with more than $800 million across his career.

8. Stephen Curry – Net Worth: $100.4M

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Stephen Curry is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. In 2017, Curry formed a new company, SC30, which manages his investments, brand partnerships and philanthropic ventures. In November 2020, Under Armour announced the launch of Curry Brand in a bid to compete with Nike’s Jordan Brand.

He signed a long-term extension with the apparel company in March 2023 that will extend into his retirement from basketball. Curry’s production company, Unanimous Media, signed a development deal with Comcast NBCUniversal in September 2021. In November 2020, it moved into podcasting with a deal with Audible.

9. Roger Federer – Net Worth: $95.1M

Roger Federer is a Swiss former professional tennis player. Federer was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Federer has a sponsor portfolio that is unmatched in the sports world.

The biggest deal in his stable is Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, which locked him up in 2018 under a ten-year, $300 million deal. Federer has won $130 million in prize money in his career, but the total is dwarfed by his off-court earnings from appearances and endorsements. The tennis legend’s biggest payday yet may come from his stake in Swiss athletic apparel company On, which went public in September 2021. His namesake foundation has raised more than $50 million and educated 1.5 million children in Africa since its launch.

10. Kevin Durant – Net Worth: $89.1M

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Kevin Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns and was selected as the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA draft.

The 13-time All-Star banks over $40 million off the court annually, in recent years adding endorsement deals with Coinbase, NBA Top Shot and Weedmaps. Durant has invested in more than 80 companies through his firm 35V. He is also behind the media brand Boardroom and was a producer on Two Distant Strangers, which took home an Oscar in 2021.

11. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Net Worth: $87.6M

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. Antetokounmpo’s country of origin, in addition to his size, speed, strength, and ball-handling skills have earned him the nickname Greek Freak. 

Antetokounmpo was named the NBA’s MVP for 2018-19 and 2019-20 and was also defensive player of the year for the latter season. The first MVP nod triggered huge bonuses from sponsors like Nike, which extended its deal with the Greek Freak in 2017. Nike released the Zoom Freak 1 in 2019; it was the largest initial signature shoe launch in Nike basketball history. Disney secured a deal in 2020 to develop a movie around Antetokounmpo’s life, along the lines of The Blind Side. The film, titled Rise, was released on Disney+ in June 2022.

12. Neymar – Net Worth: $85M

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Neymar is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Brazil national team. His 2017 transfer from Barcelona to PSG stands as the most expensive ever at $263 million, which the French club paid in full ahead of his signing.

In 2020, Neymar announced an early exit from his contract with Nike’s Jordan Brand and signed with Puma. He is diving into the world of NFTs, signing with the platform NFTSTAR in November 2021 and spending over $1 million on two Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs in one day in January 2022.

13. Russell Wilson – Net Worth: $85M

Russell Wilson is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He previously played his first 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson has been regarded as one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time.

In April 2019, the Seattle Seahawks signed Wilson to a four-year, $140 million extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid player. He was traded to the Denver Broncos in March 2022. The nine-time Pro Bowler is the founder of brand management firm West2East Empire, which has spawned two production companies.

14. Russell Westbrook – Net Worth: $82.1M

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Russell Westbrook is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has played for five NBA teams. 

In 2017, Westbrook signed a five-year, $207 million extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, at the time the NBA’s biggest-ever contract in terms of total value. The nine-time All-Star extended his deal with Nike’s Jordan brand in 2017 for another ten years, and in 2018 received his first signature shoe. Westbrook is a two-time scoring champ and in 2017 was named league MVP; he’s the only player to have averaged a triple-double for three straight seasons.

15. Rory Mcllroy – Net Worth: $80.8M

Rory Mcllroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer who is a member of both the European and PGA Tours. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking and has spent over 100 weeks in that position during his career. McIlroy is one of the PGA Tour’s most marketable players, with only Tiger Woods earning more off the course. He scored his biggest payday on the course in 2022 with a record $26.7 million in prize money, including $18 million for claiming the FedEx Cup title.

McIlroy and Woods announced in 2022 that they had founded TMRW Sports, a tech-focused venture with plans to launch a new golf league called TGL. NBC Sports teamed with McIlroy in 2019 to launch GolfPass, a digital subscription service aimed at helping golfers improve their game.

16. Tiger Woods – Net Worth: $75.1M

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Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men’s major championships, and holds numerous golf records. Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and is one of the most famous athletes in modern history. 

Woods has earned roughly $1.8 billion during his pro golf career, including a PGA Tour-record $121 million in prize money. Woods has parlayed his golfing paychecks into investments that include two homes on Jupiter Island, a golf-course design business and high-end mini-golf chain Popstroke. Woods and fellow golf star Rory McIlroy announced in 2022 that they had founded TMRW Sports, a tech-focused venture with plans to launch a new golf league called TGL. The superstar is also a partner with Justin Timberlake and British billionaire Joe Lewis in Nexxus, a luxury real-estate venture. 

17. Cameron Smith – Net Worth: $73M

Cameron Smith is an Australian professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf League. He won the 2022 Open Championship and has won five other tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the 2022 Players Championship.

Smith signed with LIV Golf in 2022, a huge coup for the upstart league, which to that point had mostly attracted golfers much deeper into their careers than the 29-year-old rising star. Smith captured his first major title at the 2022 British Open and won the prestigious Players Championship the same year. Across his four LIV events in 2022, Smith won more than $7 million in prize money.

18. Brooks Koepka – Net Worth: $72M

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Brooks Koepka is an American professional golfer who plays in the LIV Golf League. Koepka was among the PGA Tour stars to jump to the upstart LIV Golf tour in 2022, securing a huge financial guarantee.

He has won four major titles and looked set to collect a fifth at the 2023 Masters before a final-day collapse dropped him into a tie for second. He spent time at No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

19. Kyler Murray – Net Worth: $70.5M

Kyler Murray is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. Murray was considered a top baseball prospect but gave up the sport to pursue a football career, going No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL draft to the Arizona Cardinals.

Murray signed an extension with the Cardinals in July 2022 worth up to $230.5 million over five years. He has been an official member of the juggernaut esports organization FaZe Clan since 2021. The same year, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with fellow FaZe members.

20. Bryson DeChambeau – Net Worth: $69M

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Bryson DeChambeau is an American professional golfer who plays in the LIV Golf League. He formerly played on the PGA Tour and has won one major championship, the 2020 U.S. Open. DeChambeau was one of the biggest stars to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022, commanding a huge upfront payment from the Saudi- Arabia backed league.

DeChambeau earned $560,000 from his first LIV event that July, nearly triple what he had earned in his seven prior tournaments in 2022. The golfer won the 2020 U.S. Open and competed at the 2022 Professional Long Drivers Association’s World Championships, reaching the two-man final.

21. Lewis Hamilton – Net Worth: $65M

Lewis Hamilton is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One, driving for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers’ Championship titles and holds the records for the most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes. Hamilton is the most marketable athlete in the sport. The fashion-conscious driver started working with Tommy Hilfiger in 2018.

22. Max Verstappen – Net Worth: $64M

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Max Verstappen is a Belgian and Dutch racing driver and the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Formula One World Champion. He competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One with Red Bull Racing. 

His 2020 third-place finish for Red Bull Racing earned him millions in bonuses. He was even better in 2021, winning the F1 driver’s title by passing Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the final race. The 2022 season looked more like a victory lap: Verstappen cruised to the drivers’ title by winning 15 races and lifted Red Bull to the constructors’ championship.

23. Klay Thompson – Net Worth: $60.9M

Klay Thompson is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history. 

One of the game’s deadliest shooters, Thompson re-signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2019 for $190 million over five years. Thompson was sidelined for the 2019-20 season after tearing his ACL and missed the 2020-21 season with an Achilles tendon injury. He returned to the court in January 2022. Even while out with the injuries, he managed to add endorsement deals with Waiakea Water, Bevel and NERF. Thompson has a ten-year deal with Chinese shoe brand Anta worth $80 million before bonuses and royalties. He is also a co-founder of Just Live CBD.

24. Patrick Mahomes – Net Worth: $59.3M

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Patrick Mahomes is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Mahomes made his third Super Bowl appearance in four years in February 2023, claiming his second title and his second Super Bowl MVP Award.

The success has helped the five-time Pro Bowler build up a substantial endorsement portfolio. Among NFL players, only Tom Brady has made more in recent years. In July 2020, Mahomes signed a ten-year contract extension with the Chiefs worth up to $503 million.

25. Damian Lillard – Net Worth: $58.6M

Damian Lillard is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA. He played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats and earned third-team All-American honours in 2012. 

Lillard agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Trail Blazers in July 2022 reportedly worth $122 million, tying him to Portland through the 2026-27 season. His Adidas signature shoe line is among the company’s top NBA sellers; the latest edition, the Dame 8, was released in January 2022. Lillard has released four studio albums under his rap name, Dame D.O.L.L.A. He’s also a global ambassador for the Special Olympics.

26. Max Scherzer – Net Worth: $56.7M

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Max Scherzer is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball. He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.

Max won the World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. His time in D.C. is still paying dividends: He will collect $15 million in deferred money from the Nationals in 2023, and he has $75 million more in deferred payments coming through 2028.

27. James Harden – Net Worth: $55.1M

James Harden is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in the NBA.

Harden signed a two-year, $68.6 million contract with the Sixers in July 2022, taking a discount so the team would have greater financial flexibility to improve its roster. Adidas made Harden one of the faces of its NBA campaign after signing him in 2015 to a 13-year deal worth as much as $200 million.

28. Anthony Joshua – Net Worth: $53M

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Anthony Joshua is a British professional boxer. He is a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation, and World Boxing Organization titles twice between 2016 and 2021.

Joshua won his first 22 pro fights and was a world heavyweight champion from 2016 to 2019, until a stunning loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. The Brit avenged the loss later in 2019 with a unanimous decision. He lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 but got back on track with a win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023. He has a massive social media following, with 26 million followers across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

29. Jon Rahm – Net Worth: $53M

Jon Rahm is a Spanish professional golfer from the Basque Country. He was number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a then-record 60 weeks and later became world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, first achieving that rank after winning the Memorial Tournament in July 2020. 

Rahm is the world’s top-ranked golfer. He got off to an incredible start in 2023, setting a single-season PGA Tour prize-money record in April with $14.5 million. He had four more months to keep driving up the record.

30. Aaron Rodgers – Net Worth: $53M

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Aaron Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. In 2018, the star quarterback purchased a minority ownership stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. He launched a $50 million venture and growth stage fund with Roth Capital in 2019.

Rodgers is a general partner along with Nate Raabe and Byron Roth. Rodgers is a ten-time Pro Bowler and four-time MVP winner. He is fifth all-time with 475 passing touchdowns through the 2022 season.

The success of these athletes is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and talent. No matter their sport or background, the athletes on this list have all achieved incredible success. They have broken records, won championships, and inspired millions of people around the world. They have built their brands and amassed their wealth continuously over time. They also continue to inspire countless young people who are looking to fill their shoes.