# Who is the highest-earning athlete of the 21st century?

> Salaries, purses and endorsement deals, measured across twenty-five years of receipts.

*By YPB Team · Published September 20, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-highest-earning-athlete-of-the-21st-century*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Cristiano Ronaldo** — score 1000/1000
   Combines the largest football salary with the largest endorsement following.
2. **Tom Brady** — score 877/1000
   Twenty-three seasons of NFL contracts plus a fitness and apparel business.
3. **Manny Pacquiao** — score 877/1000
   Took a reported $120m purse from a single night in 2015.
4. **Lionel Messi** — score 771/1000
   Barcelona's record contract, then Paris, then a revenue-sharing deal in Miami.
5. **Conor McGregor** — score 600/1000
   One boxing match and a whiskey brand made him the highest-paid athlete of 2021.
6. **Tiger Woods** — score 600/1000
   Golf's first billion-dollar athlete, most of it from endorsements.
7. **Canelo Alvarez** — score 600/1000
   Signed one of the largest guaranteed contracts in sports history in 2018.
8. **Floyd Mayweather** — score 491/1000
   Topped the Forbes highest-paid athlete list in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
9. **LeBron James** — score 491/1000
   A lifetime Nike deal plus studio, media and franchise ownership.
10. **Serena Williams** — score 491/1000
   Tennis's highest-earning woman, with a venture fund alongside the endorsements.
11. **Lewis Hamilton** — score 491/1000
   Formula 1's highest-paid driver for most of his Mercedes years.
12. **Roger Federer** — score 360/1000
   Out-earned the tour from sponsorship long after his prize money peaked.
13. **Neymar** — score 360/1000
   A record transfer fee and a salary to match, twice over.
14. **Phil Mickelson** — score 360/1000
   Golf's steadiest endorsement earner across two decades.
15. **Kobe Bryant** — score 0/1000
   Two decades of Lakers contracts plus a global endorsement portfolio.

Tags: sports, celebrities, athletes, all time