1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Total Earnings: $300 million
Salary/Winnings: $285 million
Endorsements: $15 million
Mayweather’s $300 million year shatters the record for athlete earnings, which was previously held by Tiger Woods who banked $115 million in 2008. Mayweather’s May 2 fight against Manny Pacquiao crushed multiple boxing financial records, including PPV buys (4.4 million), total gate ($73 million) and sponsorships ($13 million). Mayweather has typically shunned endorsement deals, but inked agreements with Hublot, FanDuel and Burger King ahead of the May fight.
2. Manny Pacquiao
Total Earnings: $160 million
Salary/Winnings: $148 million
Endorsements: $12 million
Pacquiao’s $125 million payday for his bout against Floyd Mayweather was four times his previous high for a boxing match (he also banked $23 million for his November fight against Chris Algieri). Pacquiao boosted his income further through endorsement deals with Nike, Foot Locker, Wonderful Pistachios, Nestle’s Butterfinger and a handful in the Philippines.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
Total Earnings: $79.6 million
Salary/Winnings: $52.6 million
Endorsements: $27 million
The three-time and reigning FIFA best player in the world has scored 60 or more goals in each of the last four calendar years. He’s also the world’s most popular athlete, with 102 million Facebook and 35 million Twitter followers.
4. Lionel Messi
Total Earnings: $73.8 million
Salary/Winnings: $51.8 million
Endorsements: $22 million
In 2014, Barcelona awarded their record four-time FIFA player of the year with a $9 million a year raise in his 7th contract since 2005 to bring his take home pay to $50 million a year through 2018. The Argentine holds records for most goals in Barca competitions, most goals in La Liga competitions, most goals scored in a calendar year and most hat tricks scored.
5. Roger Federer
Total Earnings: $67 million
Salary/Winnings: $9 million
Endorsements: $58 million
Federer rebounded last year and finished the year ranked second. He holds the records for most singles Grand Slam wins (17) and career prize money ($90 million). His endorsement portfolio is filled with long-term deals with blue-chip companies like Nike, Rolex and Credit Suisse. He extended his Mercedes-Benz deal at the end of 2014 for another three years.
6. LeBron James
Total Earnings: $64.8 million
Salary/Winnings: $20.8 million
Endorsements: $44 million
James is the first NBA player to appear in five straight NBA Finals since the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s. The NBA’s top pitchman added Kia Motors in 2014 to his endorsement portfolio, which already included Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Beats by Dre, Upper Deck, Tencent and Audemars Piguet. Sales of his signature Nike shoes were tops among active players at $340 million in the U.S. during 2014.
7. Kevin Durant
Total Earnings: $54.1 million
Salary/Winnings: $19.1 million
Endorsements: $35 million
Durant inked a blockbuster, 10-year deal with Nike in 2014 that could be worth up to $300 million, including royalties. It is the richest endorsement deal of any active athlete and is one of a dozen sponsors for the four-time scoring champ. The 2015-16 season is the final year on the $85 million contract he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2010.
8. Phil Mickelson
Total Earnings: $50.8 million
Salary/Winnings: $2.8 million
Endorsements: $48 million
Mickelson earns more than $40 million annually from appearances and endorsement partners Callaway, Barclays, KPMG, Exxon Mobil, Rolex and Amgen. The five-time Major champion re-upped with Callaway last year in a multi-year deal to use Callaway’s clubs, balls and bag during tournaments. It continues a partnership that began in 2004. His $77 million in career prize money ranks second all-time.
9. Tiger Woods
Total Earnings: $50.6 million
Salary/Winnings: $600,000
Endorsements: $50 million
Injuries to his elbow and back hampered the 14-time Majors winner over the last two years. The injuries dented Woods’ bank account since he couldn’t appear in his typical slate of overseas events where he racks up multi-million appearance fees. His prize money was only $600,000 over the last 12 months. Woods did pick up new endorsement deals in 2014 with MusclePharm and India’s Hero motorcycles. His golf course-design business has also picked up.
10. Kobe Bryant
Total Earnings: $49.5 million
Salary/Winnings: $23.5 million
Endorsements: $26 million
Bryant had the highest salary in the NBA for the fifth straight year at $23.5 million in 2014-15. Bryant took a $7 million pay cut on his Lakers’ salary last season under the two-year, $48.5 million extension he signed in 2013. Injuries limited the 17-time All-Star to only 41 games combined over the past two seasons. The five-time NBA champion has deals with Nike, Lenovo, Hublot and Panini.
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