Did Jake Paul make more money than Kylian Mbappe in 2021?

Jake Paul (left) and Kylian Mbappe (right) [Image Courtesy: @greghardyjr and @k.mbappe via Instagram] via Instagram]

Jake Paul may continue to receive criticism for his professional boxing career, but the serious money he has been making is not up for debate. According to Forbes estimates, the YouTuber-turned-pugilist reportedly raked in a staggering $40 million from his exploits inside the ring. If his overall earnings were taken into contention, he would have earned more than Kylian Mbappe in 2021.

While there aren't many young and emerging talents in the world of sport to match Paul's financial success, Kylian Mbappe racked up an impressive sum as well. The PSG footballer secured an astonishing $43 million in 2021.

Mbappe has been the standout performer for the French outfit recently. The young footballer has outperformed other members of PSG’s world-class attacking trident, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

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It is worth noting that Jake Paul earned $40 million purely from boxing and not from any other endeavors. From his other ventures, including his videos, the Cleveland native earned $5 million. If you combined his overall earnings, the social media sensation would be slightly ahead of Mbappe.

The majority of Jake Paul's earnings came from his last three boxing bouts in 2021 against Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. He fought Askren in April 2021 and picked up a first-round knockout win.

He then faced 'T-Wood' in August 2021 and won by split decision. 'The Problem Child' again fought the former UFC welterweight champion in a rematch to earn an impressive sixth-round KO win in December 2021.

Jake Paul and Kylian Mbappe aren't the only young talents making a mark with their earnings. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, who is only 24, raked in a whopping $57.3 million in 2021, surpassing both Paul and Mbappe.

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However, it is important to note that $55 million of Osaka's earnings came off the tennis courts, possibly due to her endorsement deals.

Jake Paul claims he made more than $45 million in 2021

In a social media post, the YouTube star accused Forbes of under-reporting his earnings for 2021. However, Paul didn't specify which part of the earnings was reported incorrectly.

Jake Paul also revealed that Forbes had misreported his earnings in 2018. 'The Problem Child' took the second spot on the 2021 list. Paul was second only to MrBeast, who raked in $54 million. In 2018, the Cleaveland native featured on the Forbes list in the same position with reported earnings of $21.5 million.

However, Paul explained that he had only made around $17 million that year. He would have found himself at No. 7 on the list instead of No. 2 had Forbes reported his earnings correctly in 2018. Taking to Instagram, Paul wrote:

"True story on my momma. So my dad called me today and asked if the numbers that were reported today were inflated. 'I knew you made close to that but did you really make that?!' The answer was 'yes dad and in fact the numbers are slightly low.'"

Paul continued:

"In 2018 when I made the list I made $17m and they reported $22m I believe. On this day they are actually behind and the numbers are actually low."

Paul has taken the boxing world by storm and is undefeated with a 5-0 record. The 24-year-old has earned millions thanks to his exploits in the ring, and it is likely he will continue doing so for a few more years.