These Three Athletes Have Earned More Than 1 Billion From Salary Endorsements And Investments

Michael Jordan – $1.8 Billion Perhaps the most impressive part of Michael Jordan’s net worth is that so little of it comes from his actual oncourt salary. In 15 seasons, he brought home $93,285,000. In fact, aside from his two final seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan made just a shade over $30 million. Of course, the majority of Jordan’s wealth is thanks to his many endorsement deals. His Jordan Brand shoes are one of the most popular in the world; even 15 years after his retirement, they’re still in high demand. And deals with companies like Nike and Gatorade have helped him earn more than a reported $100 million each year from endorsements. Tiger Woods – $1.45 Billion When Tiger Woods first came onto the golf scene, it seemed like no one could stand in his way. Though he’s since lost his No. 1 ranking thanks to a variety of injuries and personal issues, his career earnings on the course are more than anyone else – by a long shot. Woods has taken home more than $111.5 million throughout his career. By comparison, Phil Mickelson is golf’s second-highest career earner, at about $87.3 million. Woods also has enjoyed a lucrative partnership with Nike, and released several installments of golf video games with EA Sports. Outside of a handful of golf apparel and equipment sponsors, Woods has endorsement deals with Upper Deck, Monster Energy, and Kowa, a Japanese pharmaceutical company. If you find yourself in Japan, you’ll likely see Woods doing commercials for the company. Floyd Mayweather – $1.01 Billion Mayweather is the most recent addition to the billionaire club, thanks to his superfight with Conor McGregor last year. Mayweather made more than $100 million from that fight alone. He’s reportedly retired with a perfect 50-0, 26 knockout record, though it’s hard to imagine him turning down another fight offering that much money. Mayweather has had a number of sponsors over the course of his career, though most of his earnings have actually come inside the ring. Burger King, FanDuel, and Hublot have each paid $1 million to sponsor the boxer. However, because of domestic abuse charges and a history of controversial rants, companies tend to stay away from lucrative endorsement deals with Mayweather.