MY TOP 25 HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETES OF 2018

A year after Floyd Mayweather ran away as 2017's highest-paid athlete on the heels of his mega fight with Conor McGregor, the field opened up in 2018. While McGregor has remained among the year's top earners with his return to the Mixed Martial Arts world, Canelo Alvarez surpassed Mayweather as the top-earning fighter of the year. Meanwhile, LeBron James, a handful of the NFL's top quarterbacks and Europe's top soccer stars round out the top of the list. Let's have a look at the world's sports stars who took the most to the bank in 2018. 

1. LIONEL MESSI, $111 MILLION

Global football’s top scorer was also the year’s top earner, netting an estimated $111 million in total. Messi climbs to the top of the list after coming in fourth a year ago, due in large part to a contract extension with Barcelona that netted him $84 million for his on-pitch exploits. Add in his lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas, along with being a face of Gatorade, Mastercard and Pepsi among others, and Messi is in line to continue to rake in the cash well into his 30s.

2. CRISTIANO RONALDO, $107 MILLION

Ronaldo relocated to Juventus this year, but not much else changed on the pitch, as he again took home Ballon d’Or honors and a fifth Champions Club title en route. Off the field was a different case altogether, as the 33-year-old topped $100 million in total earnings in a year for the first time. His income is amplified by his lifetime Nike contract as well as his deal with Herbalife that runs through 2021, while his image graced the cover of EA Sports’ FIFA 2019 video game as well. His personal apparel line, CR7, continues to grow also, pushing his total endorsement income just south of $50 million.

3. NEYMAR, $90 MILLION

One the world’s most popular athletes regarding branding, Neymar is incredibly hard to miss around the world. His list of endorsements reads like a who’s who of global brands, with Nike, McDonald’s, Beats by Dre, Volkswagen, EA Sports, Red Bull and Gillette all hitching the wagon to the Brazilian superstar. However, the $17 million he earns in total off the pitch is dwarfed by the $73 million he took home throughout his first year with Paris-St. Germain, a contract valued at $350 million in total.

4. LEBRON JAMES, $87.6 MILLION

LeBron is the undisputed top mogul of sports, something that continues to become more evident by the year. His salary jumped slightly to $35.6 million as a part of a four year, $154 million deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers. He remains among the top five earners in the NBA, but it's off the court where James truly flexes his money muscles. He is America’s highest-earning athlete endorser, taking home $52 million on the year due in part to his Nike, Coca-Cola, 2K Sports, Kia Motors, Beats by Dre, Intel and Blaze Pizza contracts. James also owns an increasing asset via a minority stake in Liverpool football club. However, James’ value soars even higher with his various endeavors into media content production with HBO, Showtime and his SpringHill Entertainment and Uninterrupted brands.

5. STEPHEN CURRY, $79.4 MILLION

The NBA’s top on-court earner is none other than Steph Curry, who is taking home $37.4 million for the 2018-19 season. It is the second season of a five-year, $201 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, a team that Curry has helped win three NBA Championships. As a whole, Curry’s earnings skyrocketed over the past year, as he has become one of the biggest endorsers in the world as well. He is as ingrained with Under Armour as Michael Jordan is with Nike or Lionel Messi with Adidas. Curry owns an equity stake in the company, and rumors place the total value of his investment in the area of $14 billion when all is said and done.

6. CANELO ALVAREZ, $78 MILLION

With Floyd Mayweather currently retired, the king of earning power in the ring became Alvarez. He emerged victorious in his September rematch with Gennady Golovkin, earning $45 million in total between purse, gate and PPV buys. However, the biggest payday of the year for Alvarez would come with the announcement of a five-year, $365 million deal with streaming site DAZN, which will distribute Canelo’s fights starting with his December bout against Rocky Fielding. The deal will cover 11 fights and is the biggest individual contract in sports history. The super middleweight champion also is signed to endorsement deals with Tecate, Hennessey, Under Armour and Everlast.

7. AARON RODGERS, $75.5 MILLION

With the string of rising contracts under center in the NFL coinciding with the upcoming end of Aaron Rodgers’ deal with the Green Bay Packers, it was a foregone conclusion he would be in position to land a historic deal. Rodgers did just that when he inked a four-year extension worth $134 million along with a $57.5 million signing bonus. The contract makes Rodgers the highest-paid player in NFL history, making $33.5 million per season with $100 million of the contract money guaranteed. The real kicker for Rodgers, however, is the immediacy of the new deal, which will pay him $67 million in 2018 and reach $80 million by next March. Rodgers also continues to be the face of State Farm Insurance off the field, and he holds endorsement pacts with Nike and Pizza Hut. Early in 2018, Rodgers also became the first active NFL player to own a minority stake of an NBA team when he bought a piece of the Milwaukee Bucks.

8. ROGER FEDERER, $71 MILLION

2018 was kind to the 37-year-old Swiss star, as he picked up his 20^th men's singles Grand Slam championship and became the oldest player in history to be ranked No. 1 in the world. He posted over $11 million in winnings on the year, but where he truly remains unrivaled is as an endorser. Federer’s $65 million in endorsement earnings were the most of any athlete in the world. His jump from longtime partner Nike to Japanese apparel company Uniqlo is rumored to be worth as much as $300 million over 10 years. Another new contract with Barilla pasta is worth as much as $40 million, joining an endorsement portfolio that also includes Wilson, Mercedes Benz, Rolex, Lindt, Moet & Chandon and others.

9. MATT RYAN, $67.5 MILLION

Ryan busts onto the scene of the highest-paid athletes in the world after a May contract extension made him the first player in NFL history to average $30 million per year. The five-year, $150 million deal temporarily made the 2016 NFL MVP the highest-paid player in the NFL history, before both Jimmy Garoppolo's and Aaron Rodgers’ extensions subsequently passed him. The deal also included a $46.5 million dollar signing bonus, half of which Ryan collected immediately. Ryan also enjoys a diverse collection of sponsorships from Banana Republic, IBM, Delta Airlines, Mercedes Benz and Nike.

10. CONOR MCGREGOR, $64 MILLION

A year after making an estimated $85 million in his super fight with Floyd Mayweather, McGregor spent much of 2018 away from the octagon working on outside business interests. However, the Irish fighter’s earning power remained elite, as his increasingly diverse portfolio continues to expand. His current endorsement deals include Anheuser-Busch, Burger King, Monster Energy, Beats Electronics and his own spirit brand, Prosper Whiskey. However, McGregor did return to UFC with a groundbreaking new six-fight deal worth upward of $20 million per fight, before prize payouts.

11. KEVIN DURANT, $62 MILLION

While Durant does not currently command as much at the pay window as his elite NBA peers (by choice), he more than makes up for it with his outside interests. Durant is making a not- too-shabby $26.5 million during the 2018-19 season, much of which is a team-friendly decision to keep the talent-rich Golden State Warriors intact. Durant supplements this with an estimated $32 million in endorsements from Nike, Beats by Dre, Alaska Airlines and Panini. He also has wide-spanning investment interests, most notably with Postmates and Acorns, alongside his content production firm, Thirty Five Media. With a date with free agency looming, Durant could stand to rise even higher on this list within a year.

12. LEWIS HAMILTON, $51 MILLION

After pulling in $46 million a year ago, the Formula One star remains racing’s top earner, upping the ante again in 2018. Hamilton has already secured a second consecutive World Championship, his fifth overall. He is in the final year of a three-year contract that pays him $42 million annually from Mercedes Benz, and rumors have him in line to see a substantial increase on his new deal in 2019. Hamilton’s success has made him one of the most widely marketed athletes in the world, earning him an estimated $9 million annually from Mercedes-Benz, Puma, Monster Energy, Sony, Bell Helmets and MV Agusta Motor. Also, Tommy Hilfiger designed an apparel line around Hamilton, as he is the signature athlete for the brand.

13. PHIL MICKELSON, $50.5 MILLION

Nobody made a better living due to the golf links in 2018 than Mickelson, who topped $50 million in total earnings on the year. While he won only one PGA Tour event, Mickelson’s total competitive earnings topped $4 million for the 12^th time in his career. He also recently put a cherry on top of the season by defeating Tiger Woods for a $9 million dollar purse in a much-hyped, one-on-one pay-per-view matchup between the two generational stars. Away from the game, Mickelson remained an endorsement machine, earning $37 million from deals with Intrepid Financial Partners, Callaway, Rolex, ExxonMobil, Amgen, KPMG and more.

14. RUSSELL WESTBROOK, $47.7 MILLION

In 2018, Westbrook became the first player ever to average a triple-double in consecutive seasons, a rate of productivity that has made him one of the NBA’s most marketable stars. The 2017 MVP is in the first year of the biggest guaranteed contract in NBA history: a six-year, $233 extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder that he signed in 2016. Westbrook will see $35.6 million this year from his on-court exploits, with an additional $19 million in endorsement deals, many of which lean into the fashion industry. Nike and Jordan Brand designed a signature lifestyle line around Westbrook and signed him to a 10-year contract over the summer.

15. TIGER WOODS, $47.5 MILLION

The return of Woods to the links in full was one of the most celebrated events of the year. Woods earned his first PGA Tour victory in five years when he won the season-ending Tour Championship, capping a year of $5.4 million in winnings — more three times what he has earned in a year since 2014. Woods still endures as one of sport’s most bankable endorsers, with Nike, Taylor Made, Bridgestone, Monster Energy, Hero MotorCorp and Kowa standing in as his main sponsors. Woods made over $40 million from these deals in 2018, a number that could rise again alongside his resurgent success.

16. JAMES HARDEN, $46.5 MILLION

Harden enjoyed the most successful season of his career in 2017-18, leading the Houston Rockets to 65 wins and picking up NBA MVP honors for himself. His encore season started with a pay bump via a $169 million extension going into effect that will make him $30.4 million on the New Year. In addition to his on-court earnings, Harden is in the middle of a 13-year contract with Adidas. State Farm, Beats Electronics, Foot Locker and EA Sports count Harden among their chief endorsers as well.

17. CHRIS PAUL, $44 MILLION

A year after being traded to the Houston Rockets from the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul agreed to a four-year extension worth $159 million. In Year 1 of the new deal, Paul’s $35.6 million in 2018-19 earnings ties him with LeBron James and Russell Westbrook as the second-highest-paid player in the NBA on the year. Paul also continues to earn well off the court due to deals with Jordan Brand, Upper Deck, Jeep, Gatorade and State Farm.

18. MATTHEW STAFFORD, $44 MILLION

Although he has since been passed three times for the distinction, Stafford signed the richest contract in NFL history last summer. As a result, he remains one of the highest-paid athletes in the world on the year in full, making $26.5 million in his contract and an additional $16 million in a second payment of his $50 million signing bonus. Stafford also sees around $2 million annually as a result of endorsements with Nike, Pepsi, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Ford Motors, among others.

19. JIMMY GAROPPOLO, $42.1 MILLION

The 49ers threw caution to the wind when it came to locking up Garoppolo, inking the young quarterback to an astonishing five-year, $137.5 million extension after just five starts. The deal set records at the time for highest annual salary ($27.5 million) and signing bonus ($27.5 million), although both Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers have since surpassed it. Unfortunately for player and team alike, Garoppolo suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3 of the 2018 season.

20. DREW BREES, $42.9 MILLION

It has been a banner year under center for the longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback, as Brees broke the NFL record for career passing yards and placed himself firmly in the race for NFL MVP at age 39. The renaissance season has come on the heels of a two-year, $50 million extension Brees signed in March that will net him $29 million on-field. Brees also remains the NFL top pitchman, making an estimated $13 million per year via endorsement deals with Nike, Wrangler, Pepsi, Microsoft and FedEx, among others.

21. SEBASTIAN VETTEL, $42.3 MILLION

Vettel has remained engaged in his year in, year out battle with Lewis Hamilton around the Formula One circuit. Although he has finished behind his rival the past two years, he has still done well via his sponsorship deal with Ferrari. The German racer makes $40 million per year as a part of the deal, which he recently extended through 2020. Through winnings and endorsement deals with Casio, Tirendo, Infiniti and Pepe Jeans, he added another $2.3 million to his take home for the year.

22. KHALIL MACK, $41.8 MILLION

Mack’s preseason holdout against the Oakland Raiders ultimately landed him in a brand-new city, as well as in a historic position in NFL contract history. On Sept. 1, Mack was dealt to the Chicago Bears, who inked the 27-year-old to a six-year; $141 million extension that includes $90 million guaranteed money. It is the richest contract in NFL history for a defensive player. Mack also enjoys endorsement pacts with New Era trading cards and, most appropriately, Mack Trucks.

23. ALEX SMITH, $41.2 MILLION

Smith landed in the nation’s capital amid a shuffling of the deck of NFL quarterbacks over the summer. Shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs traded him to the Washington Redskins, Smith received a four-year, $94 million extension that will pay out $40 million in 2018 when a $27 million signing bonus is factored in. Smith also earns in the area of $1 million annually through endorsement deals with Nike and AdvoCare. Smith’s season ended when he suffered a broken leg in mid-November, which also put his career in jeopardy.

24. AARON DONALD, $41.1 MILLION

For roughly a day, Donald stood as the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. The All-Pro defensive lineman signed a six-year, $135 million extension with the Los Angeles Rams — which was then surpassed by Khalil Mack’s trade-and-sign extension with the Chicago Bears. Donald is guaranteed to see a minimum of $87 million over the life of the deal and received a $40 million signing bonus to top things off. Donald has rewarded the Rams' investment by posting an NFL-best 14.5 sacks through Week 11 of the 2018 season.

25. DAMIAN LILLARD, $40.9 MILLION

The Portland Trail Blazers point guard is three years into a five-year, $139 million deal that is paying out $27.9 million for the 2018-19 season. Lillard’s marketability, despite being based in the smaller NBA market of Portland, is impressive. He takes home an estimated $13 million annually from endorsements with Toyota, Powerade and Panini but is headlined by a lucrative deal with Adidas that pays out more than $10 million annually.