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Forbes has come out with another of their comprehensive lists, ranking sportsmen across the globe on the basis of their earnings (salary and winnings combined with revenue from endorsement).
We have already covered the 10 most valuable athletes on the planet - and where that is computed on the basis of brand equity and potential, this one is based on who earns more in terms of cold, hard, currency.
Here, then, are the top 10 highest paid sportsmen in the world:
#10 Lewis Hamilton
Nationality: English (UK)
Earnings: $46 Million
Salary/Winnings: $38 Million
Endorsements: $8 Million
Major Endorsement deals: IWC, Monster Energy, L'Oreal, Bose, Puma, MV Agusta Motorcycles and Bombardier Recreational Products
Lewis Hamilton is the single most marketable motor-vehicle racer on the planet, with his 4th world title this year, along with the innumerable individual F1 records he holds to his name now, making him ever more popular with brands across the board.
A large majority of his earnings, though, comes from his salary (a three-year deal worth ~120 million was signed in 2016) and there's potential for growth in his endorsements portfolio
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#9 James Harden
Nationality: American (US)
Earnings: $46.6 Million
Salary/Winnings: $26.6 Million
Endorsements: $20 Million
Major Endorsement deals: Adidas, Beats, Foot Locker, BodyArmor, NBA 2K
A recently renegotiated salary with the Houston Rockets add a solid $10 million to James Harden's yearly take home when he signed the deal (worth $118 million in four years) and as he had his best season ever - becoming the first NBA player to score 2,000 points and assist on 2,000 points as well - his brand value has gone from strength to strength.
Harden's unique character, and style, make him one of NBA's most memorable and therefore most marketable players, and Adidas had a masterstroke when they made him the face of their basketball campaigns with a $200 million, 13-year deal in 2005. This is sure to be re-negotiated soon, so expect Harden to shoot up this list.
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#8 Stephen Curry
Nationality: American (US)
Earnings: $47.3 Million
Salary/Winnings: $12.3 Million
Endorsements: $35 Million
Major Endorsements: UnderArmour, JP Morgan Chase, Brita, Vivo, PressPlay
With a salary of $12.3 million (in 2016-17), Stephen Curry was the 85th highest-paid athlete in the NBA... making the Golden State Warriors official that negotiated the deal the proud author of one of the biggest bargains in NBA, nay, sports history.
The 2-time MVP (and the first unanimous MVP vote in league history) is set to be paid much more (~200 million over five years) as his new deal comes into force but off-the-court, his endorsements have skyrocketed.
Curry had the NBA's best-selling jersey each of the past two seasons and his endorsement money has tripled in the past 12 months with brands tripping over each other to get his signature.
Curry is not going to be at #8 when Forbes does this list next year - that's for sure.
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#6 (tied) Rory Mcilroy
Nationality: Northern Irish (UK)
Earnings: $50 Million
Salary/Winnings: $16 Million
Endorsements: $34 Million
Major Endorsements: Nike, TaylorMade, Omega, Upper Deck, Electronic Arts
Rory McIlroy is tied for 6th place - earning a cool 50 million from his salary and endorsements combined: of which he has quite a lot. While Nike signed him on for a 10-year extension in 2016, he also signed a blockbuster 10-year deal with golf equipment manufacturer TaylorMade after Nike's exit from that field.
The mere fact that he was chosen to replace Tiger Woods as the face of EA's golf video game after the scandal that rocked the golfing world, and killed Woods as a brand, is a testament to the fact that he is considered the future of golf by the powers that be.
With his continous success on the tour (he won the FedEx Cup last year, winning also the $10 million bonus that comes with it) McIlroy's stock is on the rise.
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#6 (tied) Andrew Luck
Nationality: American (US)
Earnings: $50 Million
Salary/Winnings: $47 Million
Endorsements: $3 Million
Major Endorsements: Nike, TD Ameritrade, Panini, DirecTV BodyArmor
The one with the lowest endorsement money on this list, by far, Andrew Luck eschewed every other brand but Nike in his early years before signing on a few more brands this year. His salary, though, is through the roof
The Indianapolis Colts signed an extension with him in 2016, a five year $123 million deal that made Luck the NFL's highest-paid player based both on average salary ($24.6 million) and guaranteed money ($87 million).
With his brand improving season-by-season, he is sure to add a bit more to that portfolio - and make his way up the list.
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#5 Kevin Durant
Nationality: American (US)
Earnings: $50.6 Million
Salary/Winnings: $26.6 Million
Endorsements: $34 Million
Major Endorsement deals: Nike, Beats, American Family Insurance, BBVA, Sparkling Ice, Sprint Telecom, Panini and NBA 2K
Kevin Durant's 27.2 career points per game average is the best among active players - and the fourth best of all time... that one stat alone shows you what an incredible ballplayer Durant is.
His shock move from Oklahoma City to Golden State last season made the Warriors an absolutely unbeatable team and the franchise to look out for in the branding world - this was a move that only helped boost his already sky-high brand value and his burgeoning portfolio is a testament to this fact.
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#4 Roger Federer
Nationality: Swiss
Earnings: $64 Million
Salary/Winnings: $6 Million
Endorsements: $58 Million
Major Endorsement deals: Barilla, Nike, Wilson, Credit Suisse, Mercedes, Rolex, Lindt, Jura, Moet & Chandon, Sunrise, NetJets
A knee-injury in early 2016 seemed to have put to end arguably the greatest career men's tennis has seen, but Roger Federer didn't become the champion he is by folding up when the going gets tough. His rip-roaring comeback in 2017, winning 2 Grand Slams proved that the word "arguably" in "he is arguably the greatest of all time" was the most superfluous usage of that term ever.
His most recent brand deal - a five year deal with Barilla, a pasta brand, worth $40 million - showed that his brand equity has never been quite this high.
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#3 Lionel Messi
Nationality: Argentine
Earnings: $80 Million
Salary/Winnings: $53 Million
Endorsements: $27 Million
Major Endorsement deals: Adidas, Tata Motors, Gilette, Turkish Airlines
Leo Messi's deal with EA Sports (as the cover of their uber-successful FIFA series) ended recently, making Adidas the single most important member of his portfolio - accounting for more than half of the Argentine's $27 Million endorsement pie - and as he continues to perform miracles on the pitch (like when he single-handedly dragged a dour Argentina to the 2018 World Cup in Russia) his brand value keeps going through the roof.
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#2 LeBron James
Nationality: American (US)
Earnings: $86.2 Million
Salary/Winnings: $31.2 Million
Endorsements: $55 Million
Major Endorsements: Nike, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre, Kia, Intel, Verizon. Owns a production company, SpringHill Entertainment, with his business manager, Maverick Carter.
LeBron James is the King.
The 4-time MVP won himself a place in NBA legend-dom (as if he hadn't done enough by then) by propelling unfancied Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA crown, the first major sports triumph for the city in more than half-a-century (52 years) - and that by doing the impossible, coming from 0-3 down in the Finals vs high-flying Golden State Warriors to win 4-3 in the seventh.
His $31.2 million salary for last season (2016-17) made him only the third athlete in NBA history to earn a $30 million + salary after Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Nationality: Portuguese
Earnings: $93 Million
Salary/Winnings: $58 Million
Endorsements: $35 Million
Major Endorsements: Nike, Egyptian Steel, CR7 Branded products including shoes, fragrance, innerwear, jeans... and a line of hotels
The four-year extension Ronaldo secured with Real Madrid has upped his annual salary to $58 million a year and he continues to grow in stature winning his record-equalling fifth FIFA Best player of the year award (3 FIFA Ballon d'Ors, 2 BEST FIFA awards).
After leading Portugal to European Championship glory in 2016, he joined a select band of athletes to have an airport renamed in his honour... and his ever-growing social media accounts point toward a popularity that is not going to wane anytime soon.
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