Top 10 richest sportspersons in the world right now
Sport is all about putting in the hard yards and having the ability to translate them into a win on the field. An athlete who is supremely skillful and has held on to the highest echelons of his or her respective sport creates enough opportunities for making money off the field.
And if the athlete is blessed with great looks and a demeanor to die for, he or she becomes a magnet for brand endorsements that can run into years and millions of dollars. In most cases, sportspersons end up earning more through endorsements than their earnings on the field.
Here is the list of the top 10 richest sportspersons in the world right now, as per Forbes.com.
10. Kobe Bryant
Total Earnings – $49.5 million; Sport: Basketball
The 17-time All Star and 5 time NBA Champion has been able to play only 41 games, owing to injuries, over the last two seasons. However, he has been laughing his way to the bank. For the fifth straight year, Kobe Bryant is the highest paid NBA player at $23.5 million. Sexual assault charges derailed his endorsement deals and marketing pundits vowed that he would never achieve the same level of endorsements again.
The charges were eventually dropped. By leading the Lakers to two consecutive Championships in 2009 and 2010, Bryant achieved one of the biggest marketing comebacks in the history of sports. His deals with Nike, Lenovo, Hublot and Panini have helped him stay put as one of the top 10 richest athletes in 2015.