*Forbes has crowned UFC champ Conor McGregor as the world’s highest-paid athlete.
According to the publication, McGregor raked in $180 million in total earnings over the past 12 months. He reacted to the news on Twitter, writing: “Thank you Forbes for recognizing my role as an entrepreneur! It was a dream to lead this list with so many successful athletes! Onwards and upwards we go”
Barcelona star Lionel Messi took the No. 2 spot, earning $130 million with “the Argentinian soccer player made $97 million on the field … with an extra $33 million in sponsorship revenue,” Forbes writes. Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo placed No. 3 with $120 million in earnings (including sponsorships) over the past year. The trio rounds out the top three, with Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott taking the No. 4 spot.
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Here’s what Forbes writes about Dak: “It pays to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott, whose season was cut short last year due to an ankle injury, inked a four-year, $160 million deal in the offseason, which included a $66 million signing bonus to push him into fourth on the Forbes list.”
And on Prescott, Forbes adds, “In addition to being handsomely rewarded as the quarterback of the most valuable franchise in sports, Prescott raked in another $10 million in endorsements.”
LeBron James ranked No. 5 by earning a total of $96.5 million. $31.5 million came from his NBA salary, while the other $65 million came from his side projects including his stake in Fenway Sports Group and his deal with Pepsi. Tom Brady came in at No. 9 with $76 million earned, and Kevin Durant rounded out the list with $75 million.
Below is the full list of Forbes’ richest athletes of 2021:
No. 1: Conor McGregor — $180 million
No. 2: Lionel Messi — $130 million
No. 3: Cristiano Ronaldo — $120 million
No. 4: Dak Prescott — $107.5 million
No. 5: LeBron James — $96.5 million
No. 6: Neymar — $95 million
No. 7: Roger Federer — $90 million
No. 8: Lewis Hamilton — $82 million
No. 9: Tom Brady — $76 million
No. 10: Kevin Durant — $75 million
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