The Richest Athletes folks aren’t always the ones you see hogging all the gold medals. In fact, they’re often not the first names that pop into your head when you think of Olympic champs.
Think about Michael Phelps, the swim wizard with a whopping 28 medals. He’s super famous and loaded thanks to his swim skills. Then there’s Usain Bolt, the sprint king, who’s got a shiny collection of 8 gold medals. And don’t forget Simone Biles, the amazing gymnast, who’s got 4 golds and a bronze to her name. These folks are celebs and have big bank accounts, thanks to deals with companies like Puma, Sprint, and Mattress Firm.
But here’s the kicker, none of them are in the top 10, not even the top 20, when it comes to the richest athletes ever. Nope, the big bucks are often earned outside of the Olympics, in sports like basketball, tennis, or by being successful entrepreneurs.
Let’s Discover 10 Richest Athletes of All Time
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a tennis legend from Switzerland. He’s won two Olympic medals and pockets about $60 million yearly from deals with Rolex, Mercedes, and Credit Suisse. His piggy bank holds about $400 million.
| Athlete | Sport | Olympic Medals | Estimated Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Jordan | Basketball | Gold Medals | $1.4 Billion |
| Ion Tiriac | Tennis, Hockey | – | $1.32 Billion |
| Cameron Winklevoss | Rowing | – | $600 Million (each) |
| Magic Johnson | Basketball | Gold Medal | $600 Million |
| Floyd Mayweather, Jr. | Boxing | Bronze Medal | $560 Million |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | – | $400 Million |
| Shaquille O’Neal | Basketball | Gold Medal | $400 Million |
| LeBron James | Basketball | Gold Medals | $400 Million |
| Roger Federer | Tennis | 2 Medals (Gold, Silver) | $400 Million |
LeBron James
LeBron James, the basketball king from the USA, has around $400 million in his bank account, thanks to a $100 million contract and deals with Nike, Coca-Cola, and others.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal, another basketball giant, is at roughly $400 million. He made a killing on the court and with Shaq-branded stuff like suits and sneakers.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer star, also has $400 million. He played in the Olympics once but didn’t make it to the medal rounds.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the boxing legend, stands at $560 million. He had a massive payday from the fight with Conor McGregor.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson, the basketball wizard, retired but didn’t stop earning. He’s got about $600 million thanks to business smarts and ownership of teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are the twins famous for suing Mark Zuckerberg over Facebook. They were also Olympians and made some good Bitcoin investments. They hit billionaire status for a bit, but it’s dropped to about $600 million each.
Ion Tiriac
Ion Tiriac, the Romanian athlete turned entrepreneur, has a cool $1.32 billion. He invested in all sorts of things, including car dealerships and insurance companies.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan, the basketball god, raked in $1.3 billion from sponsorships, with the Air Jordan brand being a real moneymaker. He’s also into things like Gatorade and Hanes and owns the Charlotte Hornets. His net worth is estimated at $1.4 billion.
These athletes didn’t just rely on their Olympic glories to get rich; they made smart moves, grabbed sponsorship deals, and hustled hard in their sports or businesses to get where they are today.
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