According to a survey listing the highest paid athletes in sports’ history, Sportico, a digital content company that provides sports industry news, data, and insights, reported that Michael Jordan has soared to the top of the list, having earned over $2 billion over his career - Part of his revenue comes from the $1 billion royalties’ agreement Nike has paid him since he retired back in 2003.
Out of the twenty-five athletes listed, Tiger Woods comes in second with 2.1 billion dollars, and part of his revenue also comes from Nike. Another 12 athletes such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Cristiano Ronaldo, Floyd Mayweather, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Phil Mickelson, and David Beckham have earned more than $1 billion since turning pro, and right behind comes Kobe Bryant in 13th place.
Although no female athlete was mentioned in the survey, which is unfortunate, the tennis player Serena Williams, for example, earned more than 480 million dollars throughout her career, bringing her to the 40th position.
