The World's Highest Paid Athletes in 2004
Here is the top 10 list of the highest earning sports people from 2003-2004. This list is a little old, the list would be much different today, except for the top spot with Tiger Woods, earning 80 million dollars a year. In fact F1 racing car driver Michael Schumacher was only just behind him this year, and he was the only non-US athlete in the top half of this list.
Although both males and female earnings are calculated, no females made the top 50 list. The top-paid female athlete during that time was Serena Williams, who earned $9.5 million, followed by her sister Venus, who made $8.5 million.
This list was published in Forbes magazine July 2004. Earnings estimates (US dollars) are for June 2003 to June 2004. Totals include salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and appearance fees. See also the Forbes top earning lists from other years. See also the top 10 highest paid in 2004 according to Sports Illustrated.
| Name | Sport | Nationality | earnings (millions) | previous year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tiger Woods | golf | USA | 80.3 | 1 |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | F1 racing | Germany | 80.0 | 2 |
| 3. | Peyton Manning | American Football | USA | 42.0 | >10 |
| 4. | Michael Jordan | basketball | USA | 35.0 | 3 |
| 5. | Shaquille O'Neal | basketball | USA | 31.9 | 4 |
| 6. | Kevin Garnett | basketball | USA | 29.7 | 6 |
| 7. | Andre Agassi | tennis | USA | 28.2 | 9 |
| 8. | David Beckham | soccer | UK | 28.0 | >10 |
| 9. | Alex Rodriguez | baseball | USA | 26.2 | 7 |
| 10. | Kobe Bryant | basketball | USA | 26.1 | >10 |
References
- Forbes Magazine, July 5, 2004. The World's Highest-Paid Athletes, p94.
Related Pages
- See the top earning lists from other years.
- Other world sport lists
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
Current Events