The Highest-Paid Athlete of Every Year From 1990 to 2020
Thanks to the coronavirus, Americans might possibly be robbed of their national pastime some more as the 2020 baseball season tries to continue but remains uncertain. In line with that, people have lost another favorite pastime: complaining about the enormous salaries of superstar athletes. While sympathizing with multimillionaires is never easy, it’s a tough time to be someone who earns a living with their athletic prowess. In a career where retirement comes at age 40 — if you’re lucky — every single lucrative season in your 20s and 30s is crucial. Having an entire year wiped out by COVID-19 can be the same as a small-business owner having to close up shop for the next decade.
So, while many of the people on this list are not in dire financial straits — particularly when compared to the rest of America right now — they are examples of how much money sweeping shutdowns can cost a top-tier athlete. As such, GOBankingRates used Forbes’ annual list of the highest-paid athletes and found the top earner — in combined salary/winnings and endorsements — from every year going back to 1990.
None of these athletes are likely going to end up in serious need of a paycheck, but top earners of today could still miss out on an awful lot of money.
Last updated: Aug. 4, 2020
1990
Athlete: Mike Tyson
Sport: Boxing
Total earnings: $28,600,000
1991
Athlete: Evander Holyfield
Sport: Boxing
Total earnings: $60,500,000
1992
Athlete: Michael Jordan
Sport: Basketball
Total earnings: $35,900,000
1993
Athlete: Michael Jordan
Sport: Basketball
Total earnings: $36,000,000
Find Out: Today’s Richest Athletes in the World
1994
Athlete: Michael Jordan
Sport: Basketball
Total earnings: $30,010,000
1995
Athlete: Michael Jordan
Sport: Basketball
Total earnings: $43,900,000
1996
Athlete: Mike Tyson
Sport: Boxing
Total earnings: $75,000,000
1997
Athlete: Michael Jordan
Sport: Basketball
Total earnings: $78,300,000
1998
Athlete: Michael Jordan
Sport: Basketball
Total earnings: $69,000,000
Check Out: These 13 Athletes Won the Most Lucrative Endorsement Deals
1999
Athlete: Michael Schumacher
Sport: Formula One
Total earnings: $49,000,000
2000
Athlete: Michael Schumacher
Sport: Formula One
Total earnings: $59,000,000
2001
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $65,000,000
Editor’s note: In 2002, Forbes changed its reporting period from the full calendar year to June-to-June. As such, there is no list for the highest-paid athletes of 2001. This figure was sourced from a report by Men’s Health.
2002
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $69,000,000
2003
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $78,000,000
2004
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $80,300,000
2005
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $87,000,000
2006
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $90,000,000
See: Most Successful Athlete From Every Decade
2007
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $100,000,000
2008
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $115,000,000
2009
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $110,000,000
2010
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $105,000,000
2011
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $75,000,000
Outside the Game: Athletes Who Got Rich for Something Other Than Sports
2012
Athlete: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Sport: Boxing
Total earnings: $85,000,000
2013
Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
Total earnings: $78,100,000
2014
Athlete: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Sport: Boxing
Total earnings: $105,000,000
2015
Athlete: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Sport: Boxing
Total earnings: $300,000,000
2016
Athlete: Cristiano Ronaldo
Sport: Soccer
Total earnings: $88,000,000
Read: 23 Athletes Who Love Giving Their Money Away
2017
Athlete: Cristiano Ronaldo
Sport: Soccer
Total earnings: $93,000,000
2018
Athlete: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Sport: Boxing
Total earnings: $285,000,000
2019
Athlete: Lionel Messi
Sport: Soccer
Total earnings: $127,000,000
2020
Athlete: Roger Federer
Sport: Tennis
Total earnings: $106,300,000
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Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the highest-paid athlete of every year from 1990 to 2020 by looking at Forbes’ highest-paid athletes for the years 2004 and 2007 to 2020. TopEnd Sports was used for all other years, as they have archived Forbes’ figures since 1990. GOBankingRates only analyzed contemporaneously active athletes. All data, except for 2020’s highest-paid athlete, was collected and up to date as of March 17, 2020. Information for 2020’s highest-paid athlete is accurate as of July 28, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Highest-Paid Athlete of Every Year From 1990 to 2020
