Sports agents are responsible for managing the careers of athletes. They typically help to recruit new talent and negotiate contracts between athletes and teams. It’s pretty much all the important office admin that helps athletes to get paid.
The best sports agents are able to work with some of the most high-profile athletes, helping these superstars to secure contracts worth millions. They are often the richest sports agents because they are able to make huge amounts of money in commission off a single athlete.
So just who are some of the most successful and famous sports agents? This post lists a few sports agents from the UK and the rest of the world who are typically considered the best in the industry due to their clients and net worth.
10. Dan Lozano
Dan Lozano is a big name in the baseball industry. He has helped negotiate contracts for many famous players over the years including Jimmy Rollins, Manny Machado, Joey Votto and Albert Pujols. He currently works with 24 clients who make him a yearly commission of $27.9 million. Along with other earnings from MVP Sports Group, Lozano’s net worth has been estimated at $7 million.
9. Rich Paul
US sports agent Rich Paul has earned his riches supporting some of the biggest NBA players. His company Klutch Sports Group began as a small start-up supporting small league basketball players and is now one of the most valuable sports agencies in the world, providing contracts for 25 high-profile clients including Ben Simmons, LeBron James, John Wall and Antony Davis. These clients make him annual commissions totaling $30 million. His net worth is thought to be a lot more than this though due to other investments he has made such as his UTA sports division – some have estimated it to be as much as $120 million.
8. David Mulugheta
When it comes to American football agents, David Mulugheta is one of the most successful agents. He is owner of Athletes First and is an agent to 42 NFL players. These players include Jalen Ramset, Deshaun Watson, Budda Baker and Michael Thomas. So far he’s earned $52 million in commissions with a plan to earn much more in the future. His net worth is about $3 million.
7. Joel Wolfe
Joel Wolfe is head of Wasserman Media Group and has worked with many baseball players over the years. He is known for negotiating one of the largest baseball contracts in history – a $325 million deal with Giancarlo Stanton for 13 years of sport games. Wolfe currently works with 47 clients. So far he has earned commissions totaling $53 million. Along with other business earnings, he is believed to have a net worth of $33 million.
6. Casey Close
Casey Close is a former baseball player who now works as one of the highest-paid MLB agents. Clayton Kershaw and Derek Lee are just some of the athletes he has negotiated contracts for in the past. Currently serving 36 high-profile clients, Casey Close’s annual commissions are believed to be just under $65 million. His net worth is estimated to be $60 million.
5. Jeff Schwartz
Jeff Schwartz is the founder of Excel Sports Management, providing financial security and strategy to athletes. His specialism is basketball – some of his most famous clients include Kevin Love, Kemba Walker, and Andre Drummond. The commission made from these superstars has been very high, totaling $70 million alone in 2019. The sport manager’s net worth is believed to be $30 million.
4. Mino Raiola
Dutch-Italian football agent Mino Raiola has helped negotiate contracts for famous footballers across Europe including Paul Pogba and Erling Haaland. He has roughly 75 clients on his roster and his total commission earnings equal $84.7 million making him one of the best sports agents in Europe. His net worth has been valued at a whopping $50 million.
3. Jorge Mendes
Jorge Mendes is one of the richest and most successful men in the Portuguese sports industry. He heads the GestiFute company and currently works with 21 players (including the likes of Christiano Ronaldo) and 2 managers (Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho). Over his career, Mendes is believed to have made more than $1.2 billion in contracts, while earning a commission of roughly $100 million per year. His net worth is currently about $100 million.
2. Jonathan Barnett
Jonathan Barnett is the founder of sports agency ICM Stellar Sports. Football is his specialism – he has helped secure contracts for famous footballers including Gareth Bale, Ben Chilwell and Saul Niguez. However, he has also helped launch careers of athletes from other sports too including professional boxer Lennox Lewis. ICM Stellar Sports is believed to currently have over 800 clients. Through various contracts with clubs over the years, Barnett has earned commission totaling almost $140 million and he is believed to have a net worth of $142 million.
1. Scott Boras
Scott Boras is often considered the world’s no.1 professional sports agent. He is the manager of several sports-related companies including a sports marketing brand and sports/personal training company, giving him the edge over many of his competitors. Baseball is his specialism – he currently has roughly 175 clients in his roster. Some of his biggest contracts include Bryce Harper’s $330 million deal with the Phillies and Gerrit Cole’s $324 million deal with the Yankees. Known for charging a 5% fee on all deals he negotiates, Boras is believed to have earned $188.8 million in commissions over the years. Along with the income generated from his other businesses, he is believed to have a net worth of $450 million (almost half a billion!).
Conclusion
These are some of the best sports agents in the industry right now. Of course, as contracts continue to get larger and new agents license themselves and rise up the ranks, this is likely to change. Could we see a sports agent beating Scott Boras and reaching a net worth of $1 billion in the future? Quite possibly.