50 Richest Athlete in the World of All Time

It is well known that athletes earn a fair share of the money. But do they earn as much as billionaires do?

Are the richest athlete in the world, soccer players, basketball players, cricket players, or any other athletic division? If you are a sports enthusiast, then you are in the correct place.

Let’s dive deep into the lives of the wealthiest athlete in the world and find out their net worth.

Quick Overview

Athlete	Net Worth	Country
1. Michael Jordan	$2.2 billion	USA
2. Vince McMahon	$1.6 billion	USA
3. Ion Tiriac	$1.2 billion	Romania
4. Anna Kasprzak	$1 billion	Denmark
5. Tiger Woods	$800 million	USA
6. Eddie Jordan	$600 million	Ireland
7. Junior Bridgeman	$600 million	USA
8. Lionel Messi	$600 million	Argentina
9. Magic Johnson	$600 million	USA
10 Michael Schumacher	$600 million	Germany
11. Roger Staubach	$600 million	USA
12. Cristiano Ronaldo	$500 million	Portugal
13.LeBron Jame	$500 million	USA
14. David Beckham	$450 million	United Kingdom
15. Floyd Mayweather	$450 million	USA
16. Roger Federer	$450 million	Switzerland
17. Greg Norman	$400 million	Australia
18. Jack Nicklaus	$400 million	USA
19. Phil Mickelson	$400 million	USA
20. Shaquille O’Neal	$400 million	USA
21. Dwayne Johnson	$400 million	USA
22. Vinnie Johnson	$400 million	USA
23. Alex Rodriguez	$350 million	USA
24. Dale Earnhardt, Jr	$300 million	USA
25. George Foreman	$300 million	USA
26. Paul Caddick	$300 million	United Kingdom
27. Lewis Hamilton	$285 million	United Kingdom
28. Fernando Alonso	$260 million	Spain
29. Gary Player	$250 million	South Africa
30. Grant Hill	$250 million	USA
31. Kimi Räikkönen	$250 million	Finland
32. Peyton Manning	$250 million	USA
33. Tom Brady	$250 million	USA
34. Wayne Gretzky	$250 million	Canada
35. Serena Williams	$240 million	USA
36. Manny Pacquiao	$220 million	Philippines
37. Novak Djokovic	$220 million	Serbia
38. Dave Whelan	$210 million	United Kingdom
39. Connie Kalitta	$200 million	USA
40. David Robinson	$200 million	USA
41. Derek Jeter	$200 million	USA
42. Hakeem Olajuwon	$200 million	USA
43. John Madden	$200 million	USA
44. Luol Deng	$200 million	United Kingdom
45. Mario Lemieux	$200 million	Canada
46. Niki Lauda	$ 200 million	Austria
48. Sachin Tendulkar	$150 million	India
47.Oscar De La Hoya	$200 million	USA
49. Steve Young	$200 million	USA
50. Tony Hulman George	$200 million	USA

50. Tony Hulman George

American racing Executive Tony Hulman George or Anton Hulman George has an astounding net worth of $200 million.

He started out racing as a driver and paved his way to becoming CEO of  Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1989. Also, he was on the Board of Directors of two companies; Hulman & Company and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway had only one racing before George’s arrival: the Indianapolis 500. However, he revised the rule declaring the NASCAR race to be staged at the Speedway.

49. Steve Young

Steve Young is a former American football quarterback and sports commentator from the USA. As of  2024, he has a staggering net worth of $200 million.

His success in finance is due to his popularity as an excellent passer in Football.

Additionally, He is currently a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro  Football Hall of Fame.

Not to mention, Steve Young lives in Old Palo Alto, one of California’s wealthiest communities.

48. Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya is considered the richest  American athlete in the world in the boxing division.

He rose to fame in December of 1992, knocking out his opponent in round one. From 1992 until 2009, Oscar De La Hoya was a professional boxer who won ten world titles in six weight divisions.

Moreover, he also gained success in boxing promotion and investment.

Furthermore, De La Hoya is the proprietor of Golden Boy Partners, which develops business and residential projects in Latino neighborhoods.

47. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is a renowned cricket player from India with a huge net worth of $150 million. He started from poverty. Now, he is one of the top paid cricketers in India and worldwide. His excellent sportsmanship owned him the success.

Besides, his exceptional play bagged India the winning title in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar signed a deal with WorldTel in 1995 for Rs. 30 crores.

Tendulkar also runs the Kochi ISL sports team in the Indian Super League and the Bengaluru Blasters in the Premier Badminton League. Furthermore, he also endorsed multiple brands like Pepsi, Adidas, Philips, Canon, and many more.

Sachin Tendulkar has a 60-crore premium designer home in Bandra West, Mumbai, at 19-A Perry Cross Road.

46. Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda was a car racer from Austria with a staggering net worth of $200 million when he passed away in 2019.

Lauda had a $1 million yearly pay when he joined with Brabham-Alfa Romeo in 1978. He returned to racing in 1982 with McLaren again after a short break. Moreover, His McLaren contract earned $3 million annually, the equivalent of $12 million.

Additionally, Niki launched Lauda Air, a private airline, in 1979. Also, Lauda acquired Amira Air, a charter airline, in 2016 and rebranded it LaudaMotion.

Additionally, Niki launched Lauda Air, a private airline, in 1979. Also, Lauda acquired Amira Air, a charter airline, in 2016 and rebranded it LaudaMotion.

45. Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux, also known as Le Magnifique, is a retired Canadian ice hockey player with an astounding net worth of $200 million.

Later, Mario formed a $107 million partnership with billionaire businessman Ron Burkle and John Surma to purchase the whole Penguins franchise.

The value of Mario’s share was assessed to be $187.5 million. Mario is the first player in NHL history to mark the Stanley Cup as both an ice hockey player and an owner.

44. Luol Deng

Luol Deng is a British basketball player originally from Sudan. As of 2024, he has a huge net worth of an estimated $200 million.

Not to mention, he had previously represented Britain as a player of the Brixton Basketball Club at the age of thirteen. Also, Deng was picked seventh overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns before being transferred to the Chicago Bulls.

Moreover, He won several trophies and honors with the Bulls, such as an NBA All-Star Game pick in 2011-2012.

Following his debut year in the league in 2004, He has been engaging in property investment. Furthermore, he currently owns a $125 million property of resorts, hotels, condos, and apartments.

43. John Madden

John Madden is an American coach, former football player, and sports commentator. He has an astounding net worth of around $200 million.

Although he played shortly as a professional player, his injury cut his playing journey short. After which, he started as a coach.

The Oakland Raiders signed John Madden as their linebacker coach in 1967. Madden was only 32 years old when he took over as coach of the club in 1969. In 1969, John Madden was NFL’s youngest head coach ever.

42. Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem Olajuwon is an American former basketball player with a staggering net worth of an estimated $200 million.

He spent 18 years in the NBA as a basketball player. Moreover, Hakeem Olajuwon’s net wealth results from his years as a professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors and his work as an entrepreneur.

Born in Nigeria, he came to worldwide prominence as a center with the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors of the NBA.

He was included in the ranking of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.

41. Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter is an American former baseball player and a businessman with an estimated net worth of $200 million. Also, he had an estimated salary of $30 million.

He made $265 million in baseball payroll there throughout his career. Additionally, endorsement deals netted him at around $150 million.

Jeter was a top regarded prospect in the 1992 MLB draft, and when the Yankees, who had the sixth selection, selected him, he decided to turn pro. He signed an $800,000 contract with the team.

Furthermore, he is among the most marketable players in baseball.

40. David Robinson

David Robinson is a former American basketball player with an estimated net worth of $200 million.

Also, he is one of basketball’s most important outstanding centers. Robinson was paid nearly $116 million throughout his professional career. Besides, he received a high salary of $14.8 million in the 1998-1999 year.

Robinson has created two private equity funds after his retirement. Admiral Capital, the inaugural fund, earned $115 million in its first year of operation in 2007.

After that, the fund moved on to purchase 350 million dollars ’ worth of real estate assets.

39. Connie Kalitta

Connie Kalitta is an American race car driver with a total net worth of $200 million.

Besides, he started his racing career in his late 50s. Not to mention, He won 10 contests in the National Hot Rod Association and was the first racer to surpass 200 miles in a Hot Rod Race.

Kalitta established his freight airline, Kalitta Air, which is located in Michigan. Kalitta is the chief executive officer of Kalitta Air at the moment.

38. Dave Whelan

Dave Whelan is a retired American soccer player. As of [current date], he has a net worth of an estimated $210 million.

From 1956 until 1960, he was a member of Blackburn Rovers. Also, Whelan bought JJB, a sports and fishing business in Wigan, in 1977.

He transformed it into a profitable sporting goods company. It eventually became the UK’s second-largest retailer. He sold his residual interest in the firm in 2007.

In 1995, Whelan bought Wigan Athletic Football Club.

37. Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is a professional tennis player from Serbia with an astounding net worth of  $220 million.

He has won more money on the court than any player of all time in pro tennis. In July 2021, his net worth surpassed $150 million.

Also, Novak Djokovic broke the global benchmark prize money received in a single season with $12 million in 2011.

Additionally, he signed a 5-year brand ambassador deal with Uniqlo worth 8 million euros annually.

Djokovic ranks number 46 on Forbe’s The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2021

36. Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is a professional boxer from the Philipines with an estimated $220 million total net worth.

Besides, he has also been active in politics and business. Pacquiao is regarded as among the great “pound for pound” boxers. He has made at least $500 million in his time from matches and sponsorships.

In addition, about 20 million individuals have bought pay-per-view tickets for Pacquiao’s games. In 2015, he was the world’s second-highest-paid athlete.

35. Serena Williams

Serena Williams is a tennis player from the USA with an astounding estimated net worth of $240 million.

She holds the most Grand Slam championships of any player in history, with 23 triumphs in Grand Slam tournaments.

Additionally, the tennis star has over 20 business partners, and her professional winnings of $94 million are more than double that of any other female player.

Also, she ranks 98 on America’s Self-Made Women 2021 and 28 on The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2021.

Serena Ventures has invested in 66 businesses, and she stands on the boards of Poshmark and SurveyMonkey’s parent company, Momentive.

34. Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky is a retired professional Canadian hockey player with a staggering net worth of around $250 million. He is highly recognized as one of the best hockey players in history.

From 1979 until 1999, he spent 20 seasons in the NHL, earning $46 million in pay. In addition, throughout his playing career, he made an extra $50 million in endorsements.

He has skillfully invested his money, creating an enterprise that now comprises sports team holdings, a winery, real estate interests, and other businesses.

33. Tom Brady

Tom Brady is the richest  American athlete in the world playing football quarterback. Brady is regarded as one of the all-time great quarterbacks with a staggering net worth of $250 million.

During his first 20 years in the NFL, he made $230 million. Also, he has made a fortune of more than $150 million via endorsements.

Tom and Gisele paid $9 million for an empty parcel of land in LA’s Brentwood area in 2009. Then, they spent an extra $20 million over the following three years to build a 14,000 square-foot house.

32. Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning is a $250 million NFL quarterback from the United States.

He is also a brand ambassador for several well-known companies. Additionally, he features television advertisements for companies such as Buick, Papa John’s, and DirecTV.

Apart from that, he has endorsement partnerships with Sony, ESPN, Spring, DirecTV, Master Card, Reebok, and Gatorade. Peyton is also the owner of the twenty-one Papa John’s pizza businesses in Colorado.

Manning received $18 million a year in annual pay while a member of the Denver Broncos.

In addition, he gets an additional $25 million a year from sponsorships beyond the sports, increasing his total yearly earnings to $43 million.

31. Kimi Räikkönen

Kimi Räikkönen is a race car driver from Finland having a net worth of an estimated $250 million.

He was one of the richest athletes in the world, earning over $50 million each year in his prime. Räikkönen is the all-time top accomplished Finnish Formula, One driver who won 21 races as of 2020.

In addition, Kimi Räikkönen has a sizable property portfolio. He paid $24 million for a luxury home in Baar, Switzerland in 2009.

30. Grant Hill

Grant hill is a former basketball player from the USA with a net worth of $250 million.

He has made about $120 million in endorsements and $140 million in salaries over his long NBA career.

Hill played for Detroit Pistons, the Phoenix Suns, the Orlando Magic, and the Los Angeles Clippers.

29. Gary Player

Gary Player is a golf player from South Africa who has bagged nine major championships winning titles. With a net worth amounting to about $250 million, he is a high-earning and skillful athlete in golfing.

He is mainly involved in the business venture  Black Knight International aside from his sports career. However, being retired, he still keeps himself active and plays occasionally.

He was titled “Sportsman of the Century” in 2002 in South Africa.

28. Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso, originally from Spain, is a race car driver who has driven in Formula One and Ferrari has an approximate net worth of $250 million.

He earns $40 million annually from Car racing and endorsement deals. Alonso was among the top three highest-paid F1 in 2021. Additionally, Alpine pays Fernando Alonso $20 million each year.

He has an exotic car collection with cars like The Elegant-Ferrari 458 Italia and Dashing-Maserati GranCabrio, costing $230 k and $355 k respectively.

27. Lewis Hamilton

With a lifetime earning of about $285 million, British car racer Lewis Hamilton is the top paid racer in Formula One ever.

He makes $40 million from his deal with Mercedes.

In addition, Hamilton possesses a $25 million home in Kensington, West London, constructed in 1860. Hamilton was the richest British athlete in 2015.

26. Paul Caddick

Paul Caddick is a former rugby player from the United Kingdom who remained active until 1980. Ha has a huge net worth amounting to $300 million.

Though his career as a rugby player was short-lived, he was constantly involved in sports as an owner of Headingley Stadium and having high percentage ownership of Leeds Rugby.

Besides sports, he is mainly involved in business ventures. Likewise, he is the owner of his own civil engineering contracting company.

25. George Foreman

George Foreman was a former boxing champion with a gold medal in Olympics in 1968. He has a total estimated net worth of $300 million.

Furthermore, he earned $138 million in 1999 from the founder of George Foreman Grill for its popularity due to his name.

Also, he bagged an additional $4.5 million every month as his share of profits from the grill shares.

24. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr is a race car driver and owner of the NASCAR team. He has an astounding net worth of $300 million.

Moreover, he is the third-generation race car driver in his family. Despite this, he had income as high as $30 million by his own efforts.

Also, he had endorsements and sponsorships from Bud light, Kraft, Drakkar, Chevy, Gillette, EA Sports, Pennzoil, and Wrangler. Unfortunately, he retired from car racing in 2017.

Quick Fact: Dale is the son of legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sr. Dale Earnhardt

23. Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez, a retired baseball player, playing predominantly for New York Yankees, earned about $475 million in his career. As of 2024, he has a net worth of $350 million.

Furthermore, he earned as high as $33 million annually in his professional career.

Also, he became involved with the media post-retirement broadcasting for Fox Sports 1.

22. Vinnie Johnson

Vinnie Johnson, also known as the Microwave, is a basketball player from the USA with a staggering net worth of about $400 million.

The Seattle SuperSonics selected Johnson with the seventh top choice in the 1979 NBA draft.

Finally, he started Piston Automotive upon departing from the NBA. The firm quickly developed to become one of the Country’s major auto parts suppliers.

Currently, Vinnie is the Chairman and Founder of the Piston Group, which has more than $2 billion annually.

21. Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as The Rock, is an actor, athlete, football player, producer, and author. However, he is mainly known for his wrestling and acting career. He has a net worth of an estimated $400 million.

He was the highest-paid actor in 2020, with $87.5 million, according to Forbes. Moreover, he earned $165 million for starring in the hit movie, The Scorpion King.

Johnson’s autobiography, “The Rock Says,” was published in 2000. Not to mention, the book launched at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list, where it stayed for many weeks.

20. Shaquille O’Neal

Retired basketball player Shaquille O’Neal is also considered the richest athlete in the world with a total net worth of $400 million. Furthermore, he is also an actor, producer, rapper, and businessman.

He made $292 million by playing in the NBA. Besides, he made an additional $200 million through endorsements. Not to mention, he has won an Olympic gold medal in 1996 in Atlanta.

Outside of Florida, Shaq has a 15-acre property in the suburbs of Atlanta that he purchased for $1.15 million in 2017.

19. Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is a professional golf player from the USA who has won three of the four majors. He has an astounding net worth of $400 million.

Moreover, his net worth is contributed mainly from his endorsement, amounting to $50 million and $10 million from his tournament prizes.

Lastly, Phil has earned as high as $800 million in his peak.

18. Jack Nicklaus

The Golden Bear, also called Jack Nicklaus, is an excellent former golf player originally from the USA.  He has an estimated net worth of $400 million.

Furthermore, he has earned most major championships than any golfer, having 18 of them to his record.

At the age of 46, Jack became the eldest player to win the Masters in 1986.

17.Greg Norman

Greg Norman, nicknamed the great white shark, is a golf player and businessman from Australia with a net worth of $400 million.

Moreover, he was the first professional golfer to make higher than $10 million by playing golf. He also founded Greg Norman Company in 1993, which generated millions in revenue annually.

16. Roger Federer

Roger Federer is a tennis player originally from Switzerland who has a net worth of $450 million. He has made about $1 billion through his career by winning tournaments and by endorsements.

Besides, Federer is a tennis superstar who has been dubbed “The Greatest of All Time” on several occasions.

Also, he is the second richest athlete in the world among tennis players. Roger made a ten-year contract with the Japanese brand Uniqlo in 2018, which earned him $300 million.

15. Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather is the richest athlete in the world among the boxers. This boxer from the USA has an estimated net worth of $450 million. As of 2024, he has $1.1 billion to his name.

Unlike, most boxers his majority earnings do not come from endorsements. He earns an average of $300 million per fight.

Lastly, he has a marvelous car collection with exotic cars like Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita, which cost him $5 million.

Also, Bugatti Chiron costing $3.5 million, Bugatti Veyrons costing $2 million, and limited edition LaFerrari Aperta $1 million, are in his collection.

14. David Beckham

David Beckham is a former soccer player from the United Kingdom. He is married to designer Victoria Beckham. Together they have a net worth amounting to $450 million.

On December 7, 1994, David Beckham played his first complete debut for Manchester United vs. Port Vale. Moreover, he has earned about $255 million from endorsements, salary, matches, revenue, and modeling.

13. LeBron James

LeBron James is a basketball player from the USA who is one of the richest celebrities in the world with a staggering net worth of $500 million. He has a salary of $ 100 million annual pay.

As of  2024, he has made $700 million from his sports career and endorsements alone. Also, he has a huge real estate valuing up to $80 million.

Nike pays LeBron $20 million annually.

12. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular athletes globally. He is a professional football player from Portugal.

With endorsements, he generally makes $150 million annually. Cristiano Ronaldo accepted a four-year contract joining Juventus in 2018 upon 9 years with Real Madrid, with a base pay of $64 million.

11. Roger Staubach

Roger Staubach is a retired football player from the USA who is popular as an excellent quarterback. He has an astounding net worth of $600 million, making him one of the richest athletes in the world.

Following 1972, Staubach received a three-year contract at roughly $75,000 annually from Miami Dolphins.

Furthermore, he is also a businessman co-owning Hall of Fame Racing and owning Staubach Retail Services and Cypress Equities.

10. Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is a German race car driver with a net worth of $600 million. He has an annual salary of $50 million.

Schumacher made $50 million in sponsorships alone even while he wasn’t racing.

Shell offered him $10 million a year at the height of his profession to wear a hat with the business’s brand at almost all media appearances.

Notably, Michael Schumacher‘s spouse purchased a 160,000-square-foot home in Majorca, Spain, for $40 million in 2018.

9. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is a former basketball champion from the USA who is also an entrepreneur and president of the Lakers team. He has a net worth of $600 million.

He founded the Magic Johnson Enterprises corporate empire, which is now worth almost $1 billion. Furthermore, his salary and endorsements alone made him $18 million and more.

8. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is one of the most popular football players globally. Messi, originally from Argentina, has an astounding net worth of $600 million. He is among the richest athlete in the world among football players.

Nonetheless, Adidas has signed him to a lifelong sponsorship contract.

He is an excellent striker and winger who played mostly for FC Barcelona. This contract earned him $168 million annual pay. Moreover, he gets an estimated $40 to $60 every year from endorsements alone.

7. Junior Bridgeman

Junior Bridgeman played basketball for twelve years before finally retiring from playing in 1987. He was a great player but got most of his financial success after retirement from the business.

Bridgeman’s highest NBA paycheck was $350,000 in 1985 with the Clippers. After retirement, he invested in fast food chains, particularly Wendy’s.

Therefore, he slowly expanded his venture, Bridgeman Foods Inc, which now has $530 million in revenue.

6. Eddie Jordan

Eddie Jordan is a retired racecar driver from Ireland who also owns Jordan Grand Prix who has an estimated $600 million net worth.

His group was at its height in the late 2000s, leading the championship and finishing on the top.

Sadly, he was compelled to sell his team owning to legal obligations in January 2005. Additionally, he owns the vodka brands Vodka V10 and EJ-10 and the energy drink brand EJ-10.

5. Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is the richest athlete in the world among golf players and one of the top paid athletes globally. He has a huge net worth amounting to an estimated $800 million.

He earns around $50 million annually, making him the richest athlete in the world.

Additionally, He owns a yacht called “Privacy,” worth $25 million, and real estate in Jupiter, Florida, worth a minimum of $55 million.

Also, he has made $118 million since 1996 by playing golf. He has huge earnings from endorsements with a total of $1.6 billion, earned from brands like Nike, Rolex, EA Sports, Gilette, etc.

Not to mention, Gatorade produced a custom brand called “Gatorade Tiger” by his name, which made him $100 million in just five years.

4. Anna Kasprzak

Anna Kasprzak is a professional dressage rider from Denmark who has a net worth of $1 billion. This makes her the richest athlete in the world among women.

She took part in Summer Olympics in 2012 and 2016, representing Denmark.

Also, most of her worth comes from her familial business called ECCO, a huge shoe business with annual revenue higher than $1.5 billion as of 2024.

Finally, she inherited the company following her father’s demise in 2004.

She ranks 2263 on Forbe’s Billionaires 2021 list.

3. Ion Tiriac

Ion Tiriac is a retired ice hockey player and businessman from Romania. He is the lone billionaire ever known in Romania, with a net worth of  $1.2 billion.

Moreover, his net worth reached $2 billion at his peak days. After retirement, he began coaching other players and coached athletes like Ilie Năstase and Mary Joe Fernández.

2. Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon is a wrestling promoter who also plays matches occasionally. He is from the USA and is also a film producer and commentator.

Moreover, he made most of his money from World Wrestling Entertainment. Vince is also the founder and CEO of WWE, which has a revenue of  $1 billion every year.

Also, he wrestles occasionally and has fought in WWF Championship and ECW World Championship.

He ranks 1517 on Forbe’s Billionaire 2021 list.

1. Michael Jordan

The richest athlete in the world is Michael Jordan. He is a former basketball champion from the USA with a staggering net worth of  $2.2 billion.

Jordan is considered the best player of all-time in the NBA, bagging six winning titles with the Chicago Bulls.

He ranks 1931 on Forbe’s Billionaire 2021 list.

He earned about $90 million playing basketball. Also, he received $1.8 billion from endorsements of Nike, Gatorade, and many more. Furthermore, he co-owned the NASCAR team in 2020.