Michael Jordan, Tiger, Ronaldo, LeBron Lead Sportico's 50 Highest-Paid Athletes Ever

The combination of his longstanding Nike contract and recent sale of the Charlotte Bobcats have propelled Michael Jordan to the top of the list of the highest-paid athletes in history.

Per the top 50 list compiled by Sportico, Jordan's $4.15 billion in career earnings dwarf every other athlete.

Tiger Woods ranks second at $2.8 billion, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo ($2.2 billion), LeBron James ($1.88 billion) and Lionel Messi ($1.85 billion) in the top five.

The earnings are inflation-adjusted and were determined by a variety of factors, including "conversations with industry insiders," Sportico's own research and historical estimates in different media outlets.

Money that was earned from equity stakes in sponsor companies when those businesses got sold were also included, so someone like LeBron James received an estimated profit of $30 million in cash and stock from Apple's $3 billion purchase of Beats Electronics in 2014.

Jordan's original Nike contract, signed in 1984, was a watershed moment in celebrity merchandising. It was worth $2.5 million over five years, but included a clause that allowed Nike to get out of it if Jordan didn't sell $4 million worth of shoes by the third year of the deal.

Nike sold $70 million worth of the Air Jordan 1 within three months of its release in 1985. Jordan's current deal Nike pays him a reported five percent of Jordan Brand sales.

His Airness also sold his majority stake in the Hornets for a $3 billion valuation in 2023.

In total, NBA players account for 13 of the 50 spots on the list. James, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are all in the billionaire category.

Woods, who made an estimated $660 million from Nike contracts in their 27-year partnership, split up with the apparel giant in 2024. He has since announced a partnership with TaylorMade to launch a new apparel brand.

Messi's fifth-place ranking on the list is based in part on his ownership stake in Inter Miami that was part of his deal to join the MLS club.

Serena Williams ($660 million) is the only female athlete ranked among the top 50. Tom Brady is the highest-ranked football player on the list at No. 21 with career earnings of $820 million.

In total, the top 50 highest-paid athletes have made $53.2 billion in inflation-adjusted earnings.