Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes in Sports History

These are the top ten highest paid athletes in sports history, ranked below:

Michael Jordan- $1.85 billion
Michael Jordan is a former NBA basketball legend who made some serious cash. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Jordan quickly rose in success. Between his legendary basketball career, endorsement deals, sponsorship with Nike, and other business ventures, Jordan remains the highest paid athlete in sports history.
Tiger Woods- $1.5 billion
Pro-golf player Tiger Woods had revolutionary successes. Woods was the first African American to ever win the Masters Tournament. He also played and won many PGA tournaments which made him money. He also has 2 current and multiple past endorsements for his golfing products.
Lebron James- a little more than $1 billion
Three time MVP basketball player Lebron James is making history. With his lifetime Nike endorsement, three championship wins, two Olympic medals, and sneaker line, James has hefty career earnings as of 2019. His recent four year contract he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers made him $154 million.
Floyd Mayweather- $1 billion
Professional Boxer Floyd Mayweather had a complicated personal life. But that didn’t stop him from passing boxing milestones. He went undefeated with a perfect record in his career. His win against Conor McGregor in 2017 alone won him $275 million. He made $1 billion in career earnings from his fights, without any long lasting endorsements.
Shaquille O’Neal- $750 million
Shaquille O’Neal, also known as Shaq, is a retired basketball player. He’s a professional multiple-time NBA championship winner and MVP. His career was lucrative- he was paid nicely by the NBA. He then made even more money in his endorsement of other companies, such as Taco Bell and Papa John’s.
Cristiano Ronaldo- $700 million
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently a soccer player for the Juventus F.C.. His soccer career began in 1992 and flourished since. He was paid around $340 million for his new contract with Juventus, in which he left Real Madrid. He also sustains a lifetime contract with Nike that is potentially worth around $1 billion.
Lionel Messi- $600 million
A pro-soccer player for F.C. Barcelona since his start, Lionel Messi quickly rose to fame. He’s a five time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award. He also has a lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas, and a multimillion dollar career contract with F.C. Barcelona.
Alex Rodriguez- $570 million
MLB champion Alex Rodriguez, also known as A-Rod, is known for his accomplishments on the Mariners, Rangers, and Yankees. He made his money from his wins as a baseball player. He also has endorsement deals with companies like Rolex and Mercedes-Benz.
Peyton Manning- $480 million
Quarterback Peyton Manning for the NFL team The Denver Broncos is the highest paid American football player. The now retired player’s endorsement deals with Nike and Papa Johns have rolled him in cash. He also had a high paying salary at around $34 million.
Joe Montana- $22.5 million
Illustrious Quarterback Joe Montana made only $22.5 million. He makes this Top 10 list because he made his career earnings in a time where players were making around only $356,000 yearly, while he made $4 million a year. He held a $13 million dollar contract with the San Francisco 49ers, a hefty contract at the time. In sports history, he was one of the highest paid athletes in his time.