Eight athletes made at least $100 million in total earnings over the past 12 months – twice as many as any other year, according to the latest Forbes list released Wednesday.
International soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo ($136 million), Lionel Messi ($130 million) and Kylian Mbappe ($120 million) are the top three highest-paid athletes, while all-time NBA scoring leader LeBron James ($119.5 million) and Mexican boxing champion Canelo Álvarez ($110 million) round out the top five.
Golfers Dustin Johnson ($107 million) and Phil Mickelson ($106 million) catapulted to No. 6 and No. 7 on the list thanks to their involvement with LIV Golf, while four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry will earn $100.4 million.
Mbappé, Álvarez, Mickleson, Johnson and Curry each topped $100 million for the first time, while Ronaldo, Messi and James have each reached the threshold before in their careers.
Retired tennis legend Roger Federer ($95.1 million) and NBA star Kevin Durant ($89.1 million) rank ninth and 10th, respectively, among the highest-paid athletes, according to Forbes, whose calculations include on-field and off-field earnings calculated between May 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023.
Forbes calculates on-field earnings based on prize money, salaries and bonuses, while off-field earnings are an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees and memorabilia and licensing income. It also includes cash returns from businesses that are operated by the athlete.
