The World's Richest Five Sports Stars: James at the Bottom, Ronaldo Only Fourth, and the Top is from China

With the rapid development of the times, today's athletes have also become high-income earners. Some athletes have even become super-rich billionaires with a net worth of hundreds of millions after accumulating salaries on the field and venturing into business after retirement. So, let's talk about the top five richest sports stars in the world.

LeBron James

As the face of the NBA in this era, LeBron James has earned $580 m i l l i o n i n s a l a r y t h r o u g h o u t h i s c a r e e r t o d a t e . A d d i t i o n a l l y, h i s o f f - c o u r t i n c o m e a m o u n t s t o t e n s o f m i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s a n n u a l l y, i n c l u d i n g e n d o r s e m e n t s w i t h b r a n d s s u c h a s N i k e, P e p s i C o, a n d W a l m a r t . M o r e o v e r, J a m e s i s a m i n o r i t y s h a r e h o l d e r i n L i v e r p o o l, w h i c h a l s o b r i n g s h i m s i g n i f i c a n t a n n u a l i n c o m e . A c c o r d i n g t o F o r b e s, J a m e s^{'} c u r r e n t a s s e t s a m o u n t t o$ 580millioninsalarythroughouthiscareertodate.Additionally,hisoff−courtincomeamountstotensofmillionsofdollarsannually,includingendorsementswithbrandssuchasNike,PepsiCo,andWalmart.Moreover,JamesisaminorityshareholderinLiverpool,whichalsobringshimsignificantannualincome.AccordingtoForbes,James′currentassetsamountto1.7 billion, ranking second only to Jordan among basketball players.

Cristiano Ronaldo

In 2024, Ronaldo became the highest-paid active athlete again with $275 m i l l i o n, w h i l e J a m e s h a d o n l y$ 275million,whileJameshadonly125 million. As one of the most influential players in the football world today, Ronaldo's annual salary is as high as 200 million euros, and he also earns a substantial income from commercial endorsements. This includes international top brands such as Nike, Herbalife, and Armani. To date, Ronaldo's total assets amount to $1.76 billion.

Tiger Woods

"Tiger" Woods has achieved tremendous success in the golf world, winning multiple championships and setting numerous records during his career. It is estimated that Woods' prize money earnings on the golf course exceed $180 m i l l i o n, b u t t h e s e e a r n i n g s a c c o u n t f o r l e s s t h a n 10$ 180million,buttheseearningsaccountforlessthan102.66 billion.

Michael Jordan

Known as the "Basketball God," Jordan's entire career salary was only $93 m i l l i o n, b u t w i t h h i s e x c e l l e n t i n v e s t m e n t a c u m e n a n d r i c h n e t w o r k o f c o n t a c t s, h e b u i l t a m a s s i v e c o m m e r c i a l e m p i r e a f t e r r e t i r i n g . I n a d d i t i o n t o o w n i n g t h e s a l e s d i v i d e n d r i g h t s t o t h e A J b r a n d, J o r d a n a l s o a c q u i r e d t h e B o b c a t s i n 2010, b e c o m i n g t h e f i r s t p l a y e r - t u r n e d o w n e r i n t h e N B A . I n 2023, J o r d a n s o l d a m a j o r i t y s t a k e i n t h e t e a m f o r$ 93million,butwithhisexcellentinvestmentacumenandrichnetworkofcontacts,hebuiltamassivecommercialempireafterretiring.InadditiontoowningthesalesdividendrightstotheAJbrand,JordanalsoacquiredtheBobcatsin2010,becomingthefirstplayer−turnedownerintheNBA.In2023,Jordansoldamajoritystakeintheteamfor3 billion, earning billions of dollars in profits. According to Forbes, Jordan's current assets are $3.75 billion.

Li Ning

Li Ning is a legendary figure in Chinese gymnastics, having won 17 world championships during his athletic career. After retiring, the brand he founded, which bears his name, has become an international first-line sports equipment brand, with a market value of as high as HK $39.186 b i l l i o n . A s t h e f o u n d e r a n d o n e o f t h e s h a r e h o l d e r s o f t h e L i N i n g b r a n d, L i N i n g^{'} s t o t a l a s s e t s h a v e r e a c h e d R M B 35.536 b i l l i o n, a p p r o x i m a t e l y$ 39.186billion.AsthefounderandoneoftheshareholdersoftheLiNingbrand,LiNing′stotalassetshavereachedRMB35.536billion,approximately4.848 billion.