With the news that Cristiano Ronaldo is set to become football's first billionaire, our weekly Top Five feature runs down a selection of the world's richest sports stars.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The former Manchester United ace is to be offered a staggering £1.5 million a game to take part in a series of friendlies in the Middle East, according to a report in the Daily Star. Ronaldo, bought by Real for £80m in the summer, already earns £12m a year at the Bernabeu, while pocketing a small fortune from a number of endorsement deals and his three clothing boutiques.
Tiger Woods
Woods became the world's first billion dollar athlete after receiving the $10m (£6m) bonus for winning this year's FedEx Cup. The American has 14 Majors and 71 PGA Tour titles to his name but it is his endorsements that have really boosted his bank balance. In 2000, the world number one signed a five-year $105 million (£63.8m) contract with Nike and also has deals with American Express, Buick, TAG Heuer and EA Sports, as well being the face of Gillette (alongside Roger Federer and Thierry Henry), a deal reportedly worth $10m-$20m (£6m-£12m).
Roger Federer
With 14 Grand Slam titles, Federer has brought home millions in prize money as well as having lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike. Rolex, Wilson and Gillette. Federer banked $36m (£21.9) in the 12 months since September 2008 and became the first tennis player to surpass $50m (£29.9m) in career earnings on the court when he won his first-round match at this year's US Open. Appearance fees and sponsorship deals have added another $28m (£17.1m), with his Nike deal alone said to be worth an extra $10m (£6m) annually.
Michael Schumacher
The seven-times world champion was earning a cool $80m (£48.7m) a year at his peak in 2003, when he won his sixth F1 world title. His $40m (£24.3m) annual salary was a record at the time and matched by sponsorship endorsements and championship bonuses. Schumacher has earned an estimated $700m (£426.3) since his Formula One debut in 1991 and continues to add to that as an adviser for former team Ferrari, as well as various media commitments.
Michael Jordan
Jordan retired for the third time six years ago but still rakes in $45m (£27.5m) annually, thanks to his clothing deal with Nike. At his peak with the Chicago Bulls in 1998-9, Jordan earned $69m (£42.1m) a year from his salary and endorsement deals. The Charlotte Bobcats head of basketball operations has earned an estimated total of $800m (£488.5m).
source: eurosport
No comments:
Post a Comment