Who Is 2017’s Highest-Paid Athlete in the World?
This guy can take the money and run. Really fast.
Forbes has come out with its list of the highest-paid athletes for 2017 and you need to think globally to guess number one.
Real Madrid superstar Christiano Ronaldo tops the rankings, pulling in a total of $93 million. That takes into account his salary as a soccer player ($58 million) and his endorsement deals ($35 million).
LeBron James took the runner-up spot, with $86.2 million. The top five remains the same as 2016, with the sole exception that James exchanged places with Lionel Messi, who took third.
Half of the top ten is made of athletes born outside of the U.S., signaling a trend, as athletes from 21 nations appeared on the list. America was the most represented country, though: 63 athletes from the U.S. made the top 100. The NBA also had a stellar showing, with 32 players showing up in the rankings, a huge jump from the 16 last year.
Perhaps the biggest gap exists by gender. Only one woman -- Serena Williams (#51, $27 million) -- made the cut.