World of Sport

Sport > World > Lists > Athlete Earnings

Forbes Lists of the World's Best Paid Athletes

jumping for joyForbes publishes a large range of lists each year. The list of the highest-paid athletes in the world is calculated based on earnings derived from salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing income between June one year until June the following year, and does not deduct for taxes or agents' fees. See also a similar list published by Sports Illustrated. Forbes have also produced a list of the Richest Sporting Events In The World (2011), possibly where the best paid athletes get their money from.

List of Lists

Here are all of the annual lists of the world's highest-paid athletes since the first list published by Forbes in 1990. In 2002, they changed the reporting period from the full calendar year to June-to-June, and consequently there is no list for 2001.

1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013


Top Paid Athlete for Each Year

Here are the top earners in the world of sports for each year that Forbes magazine has made such a list. Two things are evident, being named Michael or Tiger are good for making money in sports. For the list of top 10 athletes from each year, click on the year number. There is also a list of the top paid women for each year.

Year Name Sport earnings ($ million)
2013 Tiger Woods Golf 78.1
2012 Floyd Mayweather Boxing 85
2011 Tiger Woods Golf 75
2010 Tiger Woods Golf 105
2009 Tiger Woods Golf 110
2008 Tiger Woods Golf 115
2007 Tiger Woods Golf 100
2006 Tiger Woods Golf 90
2005 Tiger Woods Golf 87
2004 Tiger Woods Golf 80.3
2003 Tiger Woods Golf 78
2002 Tiger Woods Golf 69
2000 Michael Schumacher Auto Racing 59
1999 Michael Schumacher Auto Racing 49
1998 Michael Jordan Basketball 69
1997 Michael Jordan Basketball 78.3
1996 Mike Tyson Boxing 75
1995 Michael Jordan Basketball 43.9
1994 Michael Jordan Basketball 30.01
1993 Michael Jordan Basketball 36.0
1992 Michael Jordan Basketball 35.9
1991 Evander Holyfield Boxing 60.5
1990 Mike Tyson Boxing 28.6

Interesting Facts

  • Who is ranked highest of the highest paid? Michael Jordan was a regular on top of earlier top 10 lists, while Tiger Woods has dominated more recently, being the topped ranked athlete from 2002 to 2011, and in 2013. See our analysis of all of the lists, ranking the athletes who have appeared the most on the top paid athlete lists.
  • We determined which sports were most prevalent on these lists by rating the sport that the person is involved with instead of person themselves. Although Tiger Woods has dominated the list recently, basketball is ranked higher than golf. See the complete analysis table of sports rankings.
  • Athletes from the USA have dominated the lists, 42 athletes of the 60 that have made the list so far have come from the USA. See Analysis of the Nationalities on the Lists.
  • Michael Jordan has appeared on 17 of these top 10 lists (6 times in top position) and Tiger Woods has appeared on 15 of the lists (top position 11 times)
  • The only female to make the top-10 highest paid athlete list so far is Monica Seles in 1992, when she came in 10th.
  • On the first published list in 1990, boxers took up the first three positions of the highest paid athletes.

Related Pages

comments powered by Disqus

Old Comments

  • I still believe floyd mayweather is the richest of them all. thanks (from wale edun, Mar 2013)
  • The highest earning is essential for each & everyone's life in the globalisation world. but they should use it proper way. (from Prafullo kumar lima, Jan 2013)
  • Tiger woods made de WORLDS record in Both Golf n de money list.Dude u awesome n dee Greatest! (from Pholoso, Dec 2012)
  • I THINK TIGER WOODS IS STILL THE MOST RICHEST SPORTS MAN (from Lionel Safiawia, July 2012)
  • This enables millions in acquiring trillion infomation (from Susanta, May 2012)

World of Sport Menu