How did Conor McGregor make enough money to top the Forbes list for 2021?

Conor McGregor is No. 1 on Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes in 2021.

The reason behind Conor McGregor's colossal earnings this past year is the recent sale of a majority stake in his whiskey company, Proper No. Twelve.

It was reported at the end of April that Conor McGregor, along with Proper No. Twelve co-founders Audie Attar and Ken Austin have sold their majority stakes in the Irish whiskey brand to renowned American brewery company based out of New Jersey, Proximo Spirits. The deal went through for $600 million, which was then divided among the three partners.

Barrels of cash: Conor McGregor, team sell majority stake in whiskey for about $600M https://t.co/3KpgW2nc6W

— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) April 27, 2021

However, Proximo Spirits CEO Mike Keyes made it clear that despite not being a majority stakeholder of the company, Conor McGregor will continue to be a shareholder as well as the face and ambassador of the brand:

"The terms of the agreement are confidential, however, the most important thing is Conor McGregor will remain a stakeholder of Proper No. Twelve, the brand that will make him a billionaire," spokeswoman Karen J Kessler told Irish Mirror regarding the matter.

Conor McGregor is set to compete again on July 10 against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight at UFC 264. Speaking to Shanken News Daily, the outlet that originally reported the news of the sale, Keyes revealed that Proximo Spirits were planning on a big splash around the pay-per-view event.

Check out: What is Conor McGregor's Net Worth in 2021?

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How much did Conor McGregor make in 2021?

Despite competing only once in the past year, Conor McGregor has raked in $180 million to be named the athlete who has made the most money in the last 12 months. He beat the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the top.

Out of his total earnings, $158 million was made outside of competition. Conor McGregor clearly owes it to the majority stake sale of Proper No. Twelve. The remaining $22 million has been earned from fight purses and related endorsements.

This is the first time Conor McGregor has topped the list of Forbes' highest-paid athletes. He came the closest in 2018 when he ranked No. 4 thanks to the 'Money Fight' with Floyd Mayweather that got him roughly a $100 million payday.