- Sunday, May 05, 2024
By: Eastern Eye Staff
We all know that being successful in the world of sport takes talent and determination. We are told stories of sacrifice, hardship, and hard work by many of the world’s greats. There is no doubt that the road to stardom and success is a tough one, but it is also clear that there is a very large pot of gold at the end of it. For some, that pot of gold is brimming over, and they become some of the richest people in the world. Even fans can profit from this success by betting on these different sports. But with football being the most popular, you can take advantage of exclusive SkyBet requests. Let’s take a look at the five highest-paid athletes of all time and how they made their money through their sports and the companies that called upon their fame to heighten their own wealth.
You may have expected this list to be made up of only footballers. They are, after all, some of the highest-paid sportspeople on the planet, and it is they who have their names and faces plastered across billboards, social media, and television adverts. However, Schumacher is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time due to his amazing talent on the track and the brands that paid him to represent them at the height of his fame. We’re talking about big brands, too. The German struck lucrative deals with both Shell and Vodafone during his reign at the top and was making in excess of £50million a year from endorsements alone.
You may also have expected the Portuguese prodigy to be higher up the list. But, despite his domination of the footballing world, Ronaldo finds himself at only number four in the list. Being part of two of the biggest clubs in the world in Manchester United and Real Madrid did a lot for the young star’s earning potential, but there is no doubt that his good looks and eye for a lucrative branding deal or two also helped him on his way to becoming one of the highest-paid athletes of all time.
It may come as no shock to you to find a boxer in the top three of this list. There is a lot of money to be had in boxing, and when you are dealing with a personality as big as Mayweather, the amounts of money we are talking about are big too. After all, he carries the name ‘Money Boy’ for good reason. Rumoured to be worth in excess of £500 million, Mayweather is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time. He earns over £300 million per fight.
He has experienced many ups and downs during his time in the spotlight, and he has divided many into camps that can be heard shouting and jeering in equal measure. Whatever your personal feeling about Woods, there is no doubting his ability and sporting stature. As the youngest and the first African-American to win the U.S. Masters, he was always set to have the big brands on his back and wanted them as the face of their products. As the smiling face of Buick, Rolex, and Nike – to name but a few – he is the ultimate American sports star with the income and wealth to match.
Regarded as many as the greatest sports star of a generation, there was nothing that Jordan was not involved in during his career. From endorsing Nike to getting himself on the big screen in blockbuster movies, Jordan was everywhere when he was at the height of his career. What he did for basketball is hard to measure as he changed and elevated the game to levels that its fans could only dream of. Jordan also took his wealth into his own hands when he became majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets basketball club. With a net worth over £1.5 billion (yes, billion) Jordan is the ultimate sports star with ultimate earning potential.
