Michael Jordan holds the title of the best-paid athlete of all time, surpassing any other athlete by earning over $1 billion more in inflation-adjusted earnings throughout his career.
Despite earning $94 million from his contracts as a player with the Bulls and Wizards in the NBA, Jordan has amassed significant wealth through off-court endorsement and brand deals.
Jordan stands among an elite group of nine athletes who have earned over $1 billion in non-inflation-adjusted earnings. Remarkably, the basketball legend leads the pack with an astounding $2.7 billion in all-time non-inflation paydays.
The figures for each athlete were reported by Sportico, highlighting Jordan’s significant earnings, largely attributed to his retirement from sports for over 20 years and the subsequent growth of his investments.
In the past year alone, the Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, generated $6.6 billion in revenue, contributing to Nike’s overall $51 billion revenue. Jordan has maintained a royalty-based partnership with Nike since he first joined the Bulls in 1984, further solidifying his lucrative off-court earnings.
Sportico provided earnings data for the top 50 athletes, including their earnings adjusted for inflation during the respective time periods. Gary Player, debuting in 1953, narrowly precedes Arnold Palmer, who made his debut in 1954, making them the earliest athletes on the list.
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Ronaldo‘s lucrative transfer to the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr significantly contributed to his third-place position, with $1.92 billion in inflation-adjusted earnings.
Among the top 10 earners, only four are currently active athletes. LeBron James occupies the fifth spot with $1.7 billion earned, while his total not adjusted for inflation stands at $1.36 billion.
There is a tie for sixth place in inflation-adjusted earnings between Lionel Messi and Jack Nicklaus. However, Lionel Messi, the current Inter Miami star, has earned significantly more than “The Golden Bear” all-time, not accounting for inflation.
Messi has amassed $1.36 billion in earnings throughout his career, surpassing Nicklaus’ total of $890 million.
David Beckham, Messi’s boss at Inter Miami, holds the eighth position with $1.13 billion in earnings before the inflation adjustment, following his extensive stints with Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Completing the top 10 are Roger Federer and Floyd Mayweather, both surpassing the billion-dollar mark with the adjustments for inflation.
Indeed, the top 16 athletes have all surpassed the billion-dollar mark when inflation adjustments are taken into account, with Neymar securing the 16th position with $1.01 billion in earnings.
