LeBron James and Tiger Woods are the only two active billionaire players in sport. Only two of the 12 billionaires in the world of sports are active players.
Meet sport's billionaires, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Floyd Mayweather, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. THERE'S a very exclusive sporting club into which even someone as famous as Lionel Messi has only recently gained entry - alongside rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
LeBron James and Tiger Woods made Forbes' newest list of billionaire sportspeople, becoming the first billionaire athletes while still playing.
Topping the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, who made an estimated $136 million over the last 12 months as he jumped from England's Premier League to Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr.
1. Average Basketball Player Salary: $8.5 million. Basketball, particularly in the NBA, not only commands an immense global audience but also boasts the highest average player salaries among sports leagues. The NBA's revenue-sharing model, high-profile endorsement deals, and lucrative media contracts contribute to this ...
Brunei prince Faiq Bolkiah tops the list, with Messi and Ronaldo following in. Faiq Bolkiah is a Bruneian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Chonburi F.C. in Thailand and the Brunei national team. Bolkiah is the richest footballer in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20 billion.
Lebron James is the second athlete in history to become a billionaire after joining Michael Jordan in being valued at 10 figures. According to Forbes, the Los Angeles Lakers star is now worth $1billion thanks to a string of highly valuable investments, including a stake in Liverpool through the Fenway Sports Group.
Tiger Woods joined the likes of LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the third athlete in history to reach billionaire status.
Here's How LeBron James Became the NBA's First Billionaire.
The 10-Digit Club: Woods has become the first billionaire in his sport, and moreover, the first billionaire athlete outside the game of basketball. The only two other athletes on the list are NBA legend Michael Jordan and current NBA star LeBron James.
Michael Jordan is often considered the first billionaire athlete because he became a billionaire through endorsement deals and other business ventures. He is considered to be one of the greatest basketball players ever and has earned over $90 million in endorsements alone.
Serena Ventures represents the tennis star stepping up to invest in company's that she believes in. Roger Federer is the highest-paid tennis player of all-time taking into account prize money and sponsorships.
1970's: The million dollar contract
At the time the sum was considered absurd. However, it was soon superseded by baseball player Dave Parker, who in 1978 signed a 5-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $5 million, making him the first professional athlete to earn $1 million per year.
Currently, Jami Gertz is the richest actor in the world with a net worth of $3 billion.
But prize money, sponsorships, and appearance fees alone aren't what made Roger Federer a billionaire. To do something that no tennis player in history had done, Federer had to take risks — and one of those risks turned into one of the greatest sports business deals of all time.
Few current athletes are billionaires due to the difference in salary, their demand, and the years they have been active in their respective areas of expertise. A few of the billionaires who are athletes will be keenly analyzed here.
The richest sports owner of all is India's Mukesh Ambani, owner of the Mumbai Indians cricket team. Worth $83.4 billion as of March 10, 2023—when Forbes locked in net worths for the 2023 World's Billionaires list—Ambani has reclaimed the top spot from Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.
... Michael Jordan officially made the Forbes Billionaire list for the first time. In 2016 he has done it again, and is currently the wealthiest athlete on ... LeBron James is the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
Who is better Messi Or Ronaldo? Ronaldo has scored a record number of international goals and appearances, but Messi has won more Ballon d'Or awards (7). Messi has spent most of his playing career in Spain and France, while Ronaldo has played in Portugal, England, Spain, and Italy.
Question: Who is the richest footballer in the world in 2023? Answer: While Kylian Mbappé earned the most money of any footballer during the 2022-2023 season, the title of the richest footballer in the world, as of March 2023, goes to Faiq Bolkiah who has a net worth of a whopping USD 20 billion.
#1: Boxing
Chosen by ESPN as the hardest sport in the world—and routinely landing on the top 10 lists of the toughest sports in the world by other prominent rankings—boxing is universally recognized as a crazy-hard sport. It requires a ton of physical fitness, agility, speed, cardiovascular fitness, and skill.