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
|
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