Forbes' Top 100 Highest-paid Athletes

Floyd Mayweather may have been absent from the list of top 100 highest-earning athletes in 2017 but he is the highest earner this year (2018). Mayweather has been the highest-paid athlete in 2012, 2014, 2015 and now, 2018. Cristiano Ronaldo held the crown in 2016 and 2017, but has dropped to 3rd this year ($108) with Lionel Messi edging him out ($111 million) to the 2nd spot. 

Photo credit: Philippine Star

Athletes from 11 different sports made it to the list. Basketball (NBA) is the leading sport with 40 hoopsters among the top 100. In 2016, only 16 made it to the Top 100; the number progressed to 32 in 2017. The National Football League (NFL) seconds with 18 athletes. Baseball comes third with 14 athletes; soccer 4th, with 9 athletes; golf 5th, with 5 athletes; and golf and tennis 6th, with 4 athletes each. Racing came 8th with 3 athletes, while cricket, mixed-martial arts and track had an athlete each.

The earnings figures provided by Forbes include salaries, bonuses and prize money earned by athletes between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018. Endorsement incomes are arrived at from an estimation of appearance fees, sponsorship deals, appearance fees and licensing income for the 12 months through June 1, 2017 to June 1, 2018. Athlete's investment income is not included. Taxes and agent fees are not deducted either.  

See the list of the world's highest-paid athletes by Forbes below. 

Rank	Name	Pay	Salary /Winnings	Endorsements	Sport
#1	Floyd Mayweather	$285 M	$275 M	$10 M	Boxing
#2	Lionel Messi	$111 M	$84 M	$27 M	Soccer
#3	Cristiano Ronaldo	$108 M	$61 M	$47 M	Soccer
#4	Conor McGregor	$99 M	$85 M	$14 M	Mixed Martial Arts
#5	Neymar	$90 M	$73 M	$17 M	Soccer
#6	LeBron James	$85.5 M	$33.5 M	$52 M	Basketball
#7	Roger Federer	$77.2 M	$12.2 M	$65 M	Tennis
#8	Stephen Curry	$76.9 M	$34.9 M	$42 M	Basketball
#9	Matt Ryan	$67.3 M	$62.3 M	$5 M	Football
#10	Matthew Stafford	$59.5 M	$57.5 M	$2 M	Football
#11	Kevin Durant	$57.3 M	$25.3 M	$32 M	Basketball
#12	Lewis Hamilton	$51 M	$42 M	$9 M	Auto Racing
#13	Russell Westbrook	$47.6 M	$28.6 M	$19 M	Basketball
#14	James Harden	$46.4 M	$28.4 M	$18 M	Basketball
#15	Canelo Alvarez	$44.5 M	$42 M	$2.5 M	Boxing
#16	Tiger Woods	$43.3 M	$1.3 M	$42 M	Golf
#17	Drew Brees	$42.9 M	$29.9 M	$13 M	Football
#18	Sebastian Vettel	$42.3 M	$42 M	$300 K	Auto Racing
#19	Derek Carr	$42.1 M	$40.1 M	$2 M	Football
#20	Rafael Nadal	$41.4 M	$14.4 M	$27 M	Tennis
#20	Alex Smith	$41.4 M	$40.4 M	$1 M	Football
#22	Phil Mickelson	$41.3 M	$4.3 M	$37 M	Golf
#23	Jordan Spieth	$41.2 M	$11.2 M	$30 M	Golf
#24	Damian Lillard	$39.2 M	$26.2 M	$13 M	Basketball
#25	Anthony Joshua	$39 M	$32 M	$7 M	Boxing
#26	Rory McIlroy	$37.7 M	$3.7 M	$34 M	Golf
#27	Trumaine Johnson	$37 M	$36.8 M	$250 K	Football
#28	Jimmy Garoppolo	$36.2 M	$36 M	$200 K	Football
#29	Kyrie Irving	$36.1 M	$19.1 M	$17 M	Basketball
#30	Giannis Antetokounmpo	$35.5 M	$22.5 M	$13 M	Basketball
#30	Blake Griffin	$35.5 M	$29.5 M	$6 M	Basketball
#32	Ryan Tannehill	$35.2 M	$34.7 M	$500 K	Football
#33	Von Miller	$35.1 M	$33.1 M	$2 M	Football
#34	Anthony Davis	$34.9 M	$23.9 M	$11 M	Basketball
#35	Gareth Bale	$34.6 M	$28.6 M	$6 M	Soccer
#35	Kei Nishikori	$34.6 M	$1.6 M	$33 M	Tennis
#37	Clayton Kershaw	$34.5 M	$33.8 M	$750 K	Baseball
#38	Carmelo Anthony	$33.2 M	$26.2 M	$7 M	Basketball
#39	Fernando Alonso	$33 M	$32 M	$1 M	Auto Racing
#39	Demar DeRozan	$33 M	$27.5 M	$5.5 M	Basketball
#41	Chris Paul	$31.9 M	$24.9 M	$7 M	Basketball
#42	Paul Millsap	$31.8 M	$31.3 M	$500 K	Basketball
#42	Dwyane Wade	$31.8 M	$17.8 M	$14 M	Basketball
#44	Klay Thompson	$31.1 M	$18.1 M	$13 M	Basketball
#45	Usain Bolt	$31 M	$1 M	$30 M	Track
#46	Gordon Hayward	$30.8 M	$29.8 M	$1 M	Basketbal
#47	David Price	$30.7 M	$30 M	$650 K	Baseball
#48	Kyle Lowry	$30.5 M	$29 M	$1.5 M	Basketball
#49	Albert Pujols	$30.3 M	$29.3 M	$1 M	Baseball
#50	Mike Conley	$30 M	$28.5 M	$1.5 M	Basketball
#51	Al Horford	$29.8 M	$27.8 M	$2 M	Basketball
#52	Paul Pogba	$29.5 M	$25 M	$4.5 M	Soccer
#53	Justin Verlander	$29.4 M	$28.4 M	$1 M	Baseball
#54	Miguel Cabrera	$29.2 M	$28.7 M	$500 K	Baseball
#55	Kirk Cousins	$28.4 M	$26.9 M	$1.5 M	Football
#56	Oscar	$27.4 M	$25.9 M	$1.5 M	Soccer
#57	Paul George	$27.1 M	$19.6 M	$7.5 M	Basketball
#58	Dwight Howard	$27 M	$23.5 M	$3.5 M	Basketball
#58	Wayne Rooney	$27 M	$22 M	$5 M	Soccer
#60	Jrue Holiday	$26.9 M	$26.7 M	$250 K	Basketball
#60	Kevin Love	$26.9 M	$22.9 M	$4 M	Basketball
#60	Luis Suarez	$26.9 M	$19.9 M	$7 M	Soccer
#63	Felix Hernandez	$26.7 M	$26.3 M	$400 K	Baseball
#64	Mike Trout	$26.4 M	$23.9 M	$2.5 M	Baseball
#65	Chris Bosh	$26.3 M	$25.3 M	$1 M	Basketball
#66	Justin Thomas	$26 M	$21 M	$5 M	Golf
#67	C.J. McCollum	$25.8 M	$23.8 M	$2 M	Basketball
#68	Eli Manning	$25.5 M	$18.5 M	$7 M	Football
#69	DeAndre Hopkins	$25.3 M	$24.1 M	$1.2 M	Football
#69	Otto Porter, Jr.	$25.3 M	$24.8 M	$500 K	Basketball
#71	Yoenis Cespedes	$25.2 M	$24.7 M	$500 K	Baseball
#72	Gennady Golovkin	$25 M	$23 M	$2 M	Boxing
#72	Buster Posey	$25 M	$21.5 M	$3.5 M	Baseball
#74	Bradley Beal	$24.9 M	$23.9 M	$1 M	Basketball
#74	Andre Drummond	$24.9 M	$23.9 M	$1 M	Basketball
#76	Harrison Barnes	$24.6 M	$23.1 M	$1.5 M	Basketball
#77	Davante Adams	$24.5 M	$24 M	$500 K	Football
#77	Hassan Whiteside	$24.5 M	$23.8 M	$750 K	Basketball
#79	Stephon Tuitt	$24.4 M	$24.2 M	$200 K	Football
#80	Sam Bradford	$24.3 M	$24.1 M	$250 K	Football
#81	Zack Greinke	$24.2 M	$24.1 M	$50 K	Baseball
#82	Chandler Parsons	$24.1 M	$23.1 M	$1 M	Basketball
#83	Virat Kohli	$24 M	$4 M	$20 M	Cricket
#84	Marc Gasol	$23.7 M	$22.7 M	$1 M	Basketball
#84	DeAndre Jordan	$23.7 M	$22.7 M	$1 M	Basketball
#86	Steven Adams	$23.5 M	$22.5 M	$1 M	Basketball
#86	Sergio Agüero	$23.5 M	$17 M	$6 M	Soccer
#86	Novak Djokovic	$23.5 M	$1.5 M	$22 M	Tennis
#86	Joe Mauer	$23.5 M	$23 M	$500 K	Baseball
#86	J.J. Redick	$23.5 M	$23 M	$500 K	Basketball
#91	Joey Votto	$23.4 M	$23.1 M	$300 K	Baseball
#92	Jarvis Landry	$23.2 M	$22.5 M	$750 K	Football
#92	Nate Solder	$23.2 M	$23.1 M	$100 K	Football
#92	John Wall	$23.2 M	$18.2 M	$5 M	Basketball
#95	LaMarcus Aldridge	$23.1 M	$21.6 M	$1.5 M	Basketball
#95	Robinson Cano	$23.1 M	$22.1 M	$1 M	Baseball
#95	Brook Lopez	$23.1 M	$22.6 M	$500 K	Basketball
#95	Masahiro Tanaka	$23.1 M	$22.1 M	$1 M	Baseball
#99	Melvin Ingram	$23 M	$22.8 M	$150 K	Football
#100	Nicolas Batum	$22.9 M	$22.4 M	$500 K	Basketball