The True Heirs to Air: Athletes Earnings Most of Their Cash From Endorsements
ESPN’s Michael Jordan docuseries “The Last Dance” gave viewers young and old a chance to relive some of the heady days of the legendary basketball player’s career. But, while Jordan’s success on the court is what often gets him the most press, it’s his prowess as a celebrity endorser that might have had the most lasting impact.
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Jordan’s career earnings in basketball are nothing to sniff at, but they’re absolutely dwarfed by the enormous sums of money he made hawking products for Gatorade, Hanes and, of course, Nike. In many ways, Jordan was a precursor to the athletes of today — many of whom understand that the checks they get for their feats on the field of play are slight in comparison to the fortunes that await them off it.
In fact, some athletes consistently see endorsement money outpace the compensation for their play. Country club sports like golf and tennis, in particular, don’t pay that well on the surface — but the fact that their audiences are especially affluent means you can cash in by helping sell designer watches and luxury cars.
All told, while few can match Jordan’s athletic legacy, plenty can say they’re following in his footsteps when it comes to marketing. Using the top-earning athletes of 2019-2020, according to Forbes, GOBankingRates laid out the true “heirs to Air” — that is, those who pull in a big chunk of their annual income from endorsements rather than their sport.
Last updated: Apr. 13, 2021
Paul George
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $8,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $32,800,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 24.39%
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Cam Newton
Sport: Football
2020 earnings from endorsements: $5,500,000
Total 2020 earnings: $22,200,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 24.77%
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Neymar
Sport: Soccer
2020 earnings from endorsements: $25,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $95,500,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 26.18%
Tom Brady
Sport: Football
2020 earnings from endorsements: $12,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $45,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 26.67%
Aaron Rodgers
Sport: Football
2020 earnings from endorsements: $9,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $30,100,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 29.90%
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Lionel Messi
Sport: Soccer
2020 earnings from endorsements: $32,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $104,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 30.77%
Anthony Davis
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $10,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $30,400,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 32.89%
Conor McGregor
Sport: Mixed Martial Arts
2020 earnings from endorsements: $16,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $48,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 33.33%
Drew Brees
Sport: Football
2020 earnings from endorsements: $15,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $44,800,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 33.48%
Mohamed Salah
Sport: Soccer
2020 earnings from endorsements: $12,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $35,100,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 34.19%
Klay Thompson
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $14,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $38,800,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 36.08%
Kylian Mbappe
Sport: Soccer
2020 earnings from endorsements: $13,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $33,800,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 38.46%
Damian Lillard
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $14,500,000
Total 2020 earnings: $37,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 39.19%
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James Harden
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $19,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $47,800,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 39.75%
Cristiano Ronaldo
Sport: Soccer
2020 earnings from endorsements: $45,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $105,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 42.86%
Kyrie Irving
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $18,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $41,900,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 42.96%
Russell Westbrook
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $27,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $56,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 48.21%
Kevin Durant
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $35,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $63,900,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 54.77%
Rory McIlroy
Sport: Golf
2020 earnings from endorsements: $30,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $52,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 57.69%
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $28,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $47,600,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 58.82%
Stephen Curry
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $44,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $74,400,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 59.14%
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Rafael Nadal
Sport: Tennis
2020 earnings from endorsements: $26,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $40,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 65%
LeBron James
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $60,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $88,200,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 68.03%
Novak Djokovic
Sport: Tennis
2020 earnings from endorsements: $32,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $44,600,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 71.75%
Zion Williamson
Sport: Basketball
2020 earnings from endorsements: $20,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $27,300,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 73.26%
Serena Williams
Sport: Tennis
2020 earnings from endorsements: $32,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $36,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 88.89%
Naomi Osaka
Sport: Tennis
2020 earnings from endorsements: $34,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $37,400,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 90.91%
Virat Kohli
Sport: Cricket
2020 earnings from endorsements: $24,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $26,000,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 92.31%
Roger Federer
Sport: Tennis
2020 earnings from endorsements: $100,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $106,300,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 94.07%
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Jordan Spieth
Sport: Golf
2020 earnings from endorsements: $26,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $27,600,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 94.20%
Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
2020 earnings from endorsements: $60,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $62,300,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 96.31%
Kei Nishikori
Sport: Tennis
2020 earnings from endorsements: $31,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $32,100,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 96.57%
Phil Mickelson
Sport: Golf
2020 earnings from endorsements: $40,000,000
Total 2020 earnings: $40,800,000
Endorsements as a percentage of 2020 total earnings: 98.04%
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Methodology: In order to find the athletes earning most of their cash from endorsements, GOBankingRates looked at Forbes’ 2020 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes and found the following factors for the top 100 highest-paid athletes: (1) 2020 earnings from endorsements; (2) total 2020 earnings; and (3) percent of 2020 earnings made up of endorsements. Factor No. 3 was the only factor that determined inclusion in the final rankings. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 2, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The True Heirs to Air: Athletes Earnings Most of Their Cash From Endorsements
