All top athletes can get rich but some get richer than others. Here are the top 20 richest athletes in the world (based on earnings up to and including 2021).
Conor McGregor (MMA)
Total earnings $180M
On-the-field earnings $22M
Off-the-field earnings $158M
When Conor McGregor retires from the ring, he looks set to have a great career in business ahead of him. Most of his $180M earnings were from the sale of his stake in the Irish whiskey distiller Proper No. Twelve.
Lionel Messi (Soccer)
Total earnings $130M
On-the-field earnings $97M
Off-the-field earnings $33M
Lionel Messi earns most of this money on the field. He was formerly with Barcelona and is now with Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentinian national team. His endorsements include Pepsi, Gillette and Turkish Airlines.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer)
Total earnings $120M
On-the-field earnings $70M
Off-the-field earnings $50M
Like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo earns most of his money on the field. He currently plays for Manchester United and the Portuguese national team. There is, however, much less of a gap between his on-the-field and off-the-field earnings.
Ronaldo is a known sponsorship magnet. His endorsements include Nike, Armani, Tag Heuer, Egyptian Steel, Herbalife, Italia Independent, Clear, PokerStars and Castrol.
Dak Prescott (American Football)
Total earnings $107.5M
On-the-field earnings $97.5M
Off-the-field earnings $10M
Dak Prescott earns the vast majority of his income in his role as a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Even so, he has a broad roster of endorsements including AT&T, Beats, Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Adidas, Direct TV, 7-Eleven, Sleep Number, Oikos, Pepsi, Citibank and New Era.
LeBron James (Basketball)
Total earnings $96.5M
On-the-field earnings $31.5M
Off-the-field earnings $65M
Currently a forward with the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA legend LeBron James surely has to be looking towards his retirement. Even when his playing days are over, however, he definitely has at least one endorsement to keep him going. His deal with Nike is for life. Other endorsements include AT&T, Beats, Blaze Pizza, GMC, Pepsi, Rimowa and Walmart.
Neymar (Soccer)
Total earnings $95M
On-the-field earnings $76M
Off-the-field earnings $19M
Neymar plays for Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. His off-pitch endorsements include DAZN, Triller, Above Cosmetics and Konami.
Roger Federer (Tennis)
Total earnings $90M
On-the-field earnings $30K
Off-the-field earnings $90M
Roger Federer famously turned down Nike and went on to make vastly more money with Uniqlo and On Running ($440M versus $7M). He has long-running sponsorship deals with global names including Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex and Wilson. Federer has also appeared in shorter campaigns including starring in adverts for Lindt chocolate.
Lewis Hamilton (Motorsports)
Total earnings $82M
On-the-field earnings $70M
Off-the-field earnings $12M
Lewis Hamilton is another athlete who is closing in on retirement. His standing as a global celebrity will, however, probably still see him get plenty of endorsements. Current deals include Tommy Hilfiger, Gran Turismo Sport, Bell Helmets, MV Augusta Motorcycles, Monster Energy, Pune, IWC, Sony, Bose and Petronas.
Tom Brady (American football)
Total earnings $76M
On-the-field earnings $45M
Off-the-field earnings $31M
Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady retired in February 2022. Previous endorsements have included Under Armour, Sam Adams, Foot Locker and Tag Heuer. It seems likely that he will have ongoing endorsements in retirement.
Kevin Durant (Basketball)
Total earnings $75M
On-the-field earnings $31M
Off-the-field earnings $44M
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant earns more off the field than on it. His endorsements include 2K Sports, Degree, Master & Dynamic and Nike.
Stephen Curry (Basketball)
Total earnings $74.5M
On-the-field earnings $34.5M
Off-the-field earnings £40M
Stephen Curry is a guard for the Golden State Warriors. His endorsements include FTX, Callaway Golf, Rakuten, Chase, Fanatics, Under Armour, and Infiniti.
Naomi Osaka (Tennis)
Total earnings $60M
On-the-field earnings $5M
Off-the-field earnings $55M
Naomi Osaka has endorsements with Tag Heuer, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Beats and Mastercard
Tiger Woods (Golf)
Total earnings $60M
On-the-field earnings $200K
Off-the-field earnings $60M
Tiger Woods has a huge range of endorsements and associations ranging from Nike, Bridgestone and TaylorMade to Bridgestone, Discovery Communications, Inc., Hero MotoCorp, Monster Energy, Nike, Rolex, TaylorMade and Upper Deck.
Russell Westbrook (Basketball)
Total earnings $59M
On-the-field earnings $33M
Off-the-field earnings $26M
Russell Westbrook is a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. His endorsements include Nike, Subway and Pepsi.
Patrick Mahomes (American Football)
Total earnings $54.5M
On-the-field earnings $32.5M
Off-the-field earnings $22M
Patrick Mahomes is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. His endorsements include Hunt’s, Oakley, Essentia Water, State Farm, DirecTV, Adidas and Head & Shoulders.
James Harden (Basketball)
Total earnings $51M
On-the-field earnings $33M
Off-the-field earnings $18M
James Harden is a guard for the Philadelphia 76ers. His endorsements include Adidas, Beats Electronics, BodyArmor, Stance Socks and State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance.
David Bakhtiari (American Football)
Total earnings $48.5M
On-the-field earnings $48M
Off-the-field earnings $500K
David Bakhtiari is an offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers. His endorsements include Pepsi, Viking Waffles, Proactive (Skincare), American Family Insurance.
Ronnie Stanley (American football)
Total earnings $47.5M
On-the-field earnings $47M
Off-the-field earnings $500K
Ronnie Stanley is an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. His endorsements include shoe company Zappos.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Basketball)
Total earnings $47M
On-the-field earnings $22M
Off-the-field earnings $25M
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a forward for the Milwaukee Bucks. His endorsements include Nike, JBL, Hulu, Tissot, Kronos Foods, 2k Sports and T-Mobile.
Dustin Johnson (Golf)
Total earnings $44.5M
On-the-field earnings $24.5M
Off-the-field earnings $20M
Dustin Johnson’s endorsements currently include TaylorMade, Adidas, RBC, BodyArmor, Hublot, NetJets and Perfect Practice.
Who makes the most money in endorsements?
It’s hard to know for sure who the highest-paid endorsements athletes are. Based on the available figures, however, the top 10 highest-paid endorsements go to:
Roger Federer $90M
LeBron James $65M
Tiger Woods $60M
Naomi Osaka $55M
Cristiano Ronaldo $50M
Kevin Durant $44M
Stephen Curry $40M
Lionel Messi $33M
Tom Brady $31M
Russell Westbrook $26M
Top 20 richest athletes by sport
The top 20 richest athletes all compete in a total of just 7 sports.
Basketball (6)
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Stephen Curry
Russell Westbrook
James Harden
Giannis Antetokounmpo
American Football (5)
Dak Prescott
Tom Brady
Patrick Mahomes
David Bakhtiari
Ronnie Stanley
Soccer (3)
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Neymar
Tennis (2)
Roger Federer
Naomi Osaka
Golf (2)
Tiger Woods
Dustin Johnson
Motorsports (1)
Lewis Hamilton
MMA (1)
Conor McGregor
FAQ
Which sport has the highest salary?
Overall, soccer players tend to be the highest-paid athletes in the world. In some countries, however, in some countries, athletes in other sports tend to earn higher salaries. For example, in the U.S., American football players and basketball players tend to be the highest-paid athletes.
Is LeBron James a billionaire?
LeBron James hasn’t quite joined the ranks of billionaire athletes. His career earnings have surpassed $1B but taxes and fees have meant that he is not, yet, a billionaire himself.
Who is the richest sports player in 2021?
Technically, Connor McGregor is the richest sports player in 2021. Arguably, however, the title of richest sports player in 2021 should go to Lionel Messi. Although he only came second on the list of the top 20 richest athletes in 2021, he did make most of his earnings on the field. Also, most of his off-field earnings were due to endorsements.