World's Top Paid Athlete for 2012
Each year (since 2004) Sports Illustrated Magazine's have published the Fortunate 50 (top paid US athletes) and the International 20 (top paid other athletes). It made sense to combine these two and create the World 10.
We have combined the 2012 Fortunate 50 and the 2012 International 20 lists to give you the top 10 paid athletes in the world in 2012 according to Sports Illustrated. The internationals have been slowly catching up with the Americans, and the same as last year now make up half of this list. Compare this list to the Forbes 2012 Top Paid Athletes List. Earning totals are based on salary, winnings, endorsements and appearance fees.
| Rank | Name | Country | Sport | earnings (US$ mil) | previous year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | USA | Boxing | $85.0 | >10 |
| 2. | Phil Mickelson | USA | Golf | $60.7 | 2 |
| 3. | Tiger Woods | USA | Golf | $56.4 | 1 |
| 4. | Roger Federer | Switzerland | Tennis | $51.4 | 3 |
| 5. | Kobe Bryant | USA | Basketball | $48.2 | >10 |
| 6. | David Beckham | UK | Soccer | $46.0 | >10 |
| 7. | LeBron James | USA | Basketball | $45.9 | 6 |
| 8. | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Soccer | $41.25 | 7 |
| 9. | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Soccer | $40.25 | 8 |
| 10. | Fernando Alonso | Spain | Auto Racing | $40.0 | 5 |
Related Pages
- About Sports Illustrated Lists
- Other sporting lists, including the Forbes list of the World's Best Paid Athletes
- More about the World of Sport
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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