Moneyballers
Forbes has released its annual list of the highest-paid athletes in the world, with Cristiano Ronaldo taking the top spot thanks to an enormous $136 million haul for the soccer star from May '22 to May '23.
Ronaldo’s enormous social media following — which totals more than 850m — helped him secure some of the most lucrative endorsement deals of any athlete, including a lifetime partnership with Nike. It also didn’t hurt that he signed a $75m-a-year contract with Saudi Arabia's deep-pocketed club Al Nassr.
Indeed, Saudi Arabia’s influence is felt across this list, with golfers Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson both making the top 10 after leaving the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, earning tens of millions of dollars in guarantees. Elsewhere, LeBron James led the American contingent, out-earning his NBA colleagues Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, while French soccer star Kylian Mbappé made his debut in the top 10 and Lionel Messi cashed $130m after leading Argentina to World Cup glory.
Overall, no female athlete broke through the ~$90m barrier required to make the top 10. Last year, Naomi Osaka topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid female athletes with a haul of $51m — a list often dominated by tennis players.
Retirement fun(d)
Roger Federer, who might not be eligible for this list next year after hanging up his rackets in September, remains a marketer’s dream. Thanks to a long list of sponsorships — including LVMH, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz and Uniqlo — as well as a significant stake in the fast-growing Swiss shoe company On, the Swiss maestro brought in $95m… all in off-field earnings.
