The World's
100 Highest-Paid Athletes 2014.
#1 Floyd
Mayweather
Total
Earnings: $105 million
Salary/winnings:
$105 million
Endorsements:
$0
Mayweather
is the first athlete besides Tiger Woods to earn $100 million in Forbes' annual
tally of the highest-paid athletes. His September 2013 fight against Canelo
Alvarez set records for highest pay-per-view gross ($150 million), live gate
($20 million) and total revenue (roughly $200 million). The Canelo fight marked
the second bout in the blockbuster 30-month, six fight deal he signed with
Showtime in 2013.
#2
Cristiano Ronaldo
Total
Earnings: $80 million
Salary/winnings:
$52 million
Endorsements:
$28 million
The
Portugal and Real Madrid star was voted the sport's most valuable player in the
world in 2013, the second time in his career, after scoring 69 goals in 59 club
and country competitions. Real Madrid rewarded him with a record 5-year
contract worth $206 million.
#3 LeBron
James
Total
Earnings: $72.3 million
Salary/winnings:
$19.3 million
Endorsements:
$53 million
James is
the NBA's biggest endorsement star, thanks to deals with Nike, McDonald's,
Coca-Cola, Upper Deck and others. Sales of his signature Nike shoes were tops
among active players at $300 million in the U.S. during 2013. James also made
millions through his small stake in Beats when it was sold to Apple for $3
billion.
#4 Lionel
Messi
Total
Earnings: $64.7 million
Salary/winnings:
$41.7 million
Endorsements:
$23 million
Sponsors
like Adidas, who launched his signature shoe last year, and Turkish Airlines,
who paired him with NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, have invested heavily in
Barcelona's most prolific goal scorer. In May, he signed his 7th contract in 11
years that will pay him more than $50 million a year before taxes and extend
his stay at Camp Nou until 2018.
#5 Kobe
Bryant
Total
Earnings: $61.5 million
Salary/winnings:
$30.5 million
Endorsements:
$31 million
Bryant's
$30.5 million salary is nearly $8 million higher than any other player. He
inked a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension in November that will keep
his on-court salary tops in the NBA. His deals with the likes of Turkish Air,
Lenovo, Hublot, Nike and Panini for merchandise are worth $30 million annually.
(Πηγή: forbes.com)
