The World's Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes of 2025
Summary
Forbes' annual list of the world's highest-paid athletes for 2025 showcases the titans who have conquered their sports and captivated global audiences, their earnings soaring from record-breaking performances, lucrative endorsements and savvy business ventures.
This year's ranking is a testament to the diverse landscape of global sports. Familiar faces continue to dominate, their established legacies attracting massive sponsorship deals and commanding top salaries. The reigning champions of basketball, football (both American and global), and more highlights their on-field or on-court brilliance directly fueling their off-field earnings. Leading the pack isCristiano Ronaldoat $275 million USD, making $225 million USD on-field and $50 million USD off. Coming behind Ronaldo is the greatest shooter in the world,Stephen Currywith $156 million USD ($56 million USD on-field, $100 million USD off-field). The Golden State Warriors guard became the first NBA player to reach 4,000 career 3-pointers back in March. In third is UK'sTyson Furyrepresenting the boxing world with $146 million USD. Others after Fury include NFL's Dak Prescott, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Juan Soto, Karim Benzema, Shohei Ohtani and Kevin Durant. The top 10 showing span across the NBA, NFL, MLB, Boxing, MLS and more. Notably, the top 10 does not include any women, demonstrating that there is still a lot to be done in pay equality in women's sports.
The 2025 list also highlights the growing influence of emerging sports and the power of individual brand building. These athletes have cultivated massive social media followings, launched successful businesses, and strategically partnered with global brands, demonstrating that athletic prowess is just one piece of the financial pie. This list offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of sports, celebrity, and big business, showcasing the individuals who have truly hit the jackpot in the world of athletics.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – $275 Million USD2. Stephen Curry – $156 Million USD3. Tyson Fury – $146 Million USD4. Dak Prescott – $137 Million USD5. Lionel Messi – $137 Million USD6. LeBron James – $133.8 Million USD7. Juan Soto – $114 Million USD8. Karim Benzema – $104 Million USD9. Shohei Ohtani – $102.5 Million USD10. Kevin Durant – $101.4 Million USD
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
30 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
E2M Solutions Appoints Brent Weaver as CEO to Lead the Next Phase of Global Growth
Brent's appointment signals E2M's bold move to unify U.S. and India operations while doubling down on AI, systems, and agency success SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 5, 2025 / E2M Solutions, a leading white-label digital services partner for agencies worldwide, has announced the appointment of Brent Weaver as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective today. Brent Weaver, a Colorado-based entrepreneur and executive, brings over two decades of experience in the digital agency ecosystem. He is the founder of UGURUS, a well-known coaching and training company for digital agency owners, which was later acquired by Cloudways and became part of DigitalOcean. At DigitalOcean, he played a key role in scaling agency partnerships globally. Weaver also served as a partner at UnlimitedWP, which E2M Solutions acquired last year - making this appointment a full-circle moment. "This is a significant milestone in our journey and the beginning of a bold new chapter," said Manish Dudharejia, Founder of E2M. "Brent is someone who lives and breathes the agency world-just like I do. His philosophy around growth, integrity, and client success aligns perfectly with ours. I've known Brent for years and have always admired his ability to lead with clarity, empathy, and vision. I couldn't think of a better person to guide E2M Solutions into its next chapter. With him on board, we're doubling down on our mission to serve agencies better. This move will also help E2M expand our brand presence and operations in the US. Our goal is to build a company that has a strong presence in both the US and India-truly bringing together the best of both worlds in this era of globalization." As CEO, Brent will be strengthening internal systems, expanding service offerings-especially in AI-and helping E2M Solutions' clients scale faster and more efficiently. "I'm honored to lead E2M Solutions at such a pivotal time," said Brent Weaver, CEO of E2M Solutions. "This team has built something truly special. My focus will be on helping our people grow, refining our delivery systems, and ensuring our clients stay ahead in an evolving digital landscape. I've spent the last 20+ years immersed in the agency space-advising, mentoring, and scaling - and I see a huge opportunity to bring that experience to E2M Solutions to help agencies thrive in this new AI-driven era." "Brent's operational excellence and client-first approach were evident during our UnlimitedWP partnership," said Ronik Patel, Advisor at E2M Solutions. "He has the focus and strategic vision needed to execute our ambitious growth plans." This leadership transition marks a unique milestone - an Indian-founded company appointing an American CEO - reflecting E2M's global vision and its commitment to bold, forward-thinking leadership. About E2M Solutions Founded in 2012, E2M Solutions is the #1 White Label Partner for Digital Agencies-currently serving over 300+ agencies with a team of 300+ experts. E2M Solutions provides white label services that help digital agencies grow and scale their business with WordPress Development, eCommerce Solutions, SEO, Content Writing, and AI Adoption services. The company operates out of offices in Ahmedabad, India, and San Diego, California. SOURCE: E2M Solutions Inc press release
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Check out the latest Donald Trump presidential approval ratings for PA and across US
Despite mass firings within the government, threats of tariffs and struggles to get the 'big, beautiful bill' passed, President Donald Trump's approval ratings have held steady early in his second term. DOGE leader Elon Musk is leaving the White House and Trump is threatening to tariff two high profile American companies — Apple and Mattel — despite questions by the US Court of International Trade about his authority to unilaterally impose tariffs without action by congress. Here's what the recent polls show about Trump's presidential job approval ratings as of the first week of June. According to Rasmussen Reports polling, Trump's approval has improved to a 53% approval rating and 46% that disapprove. The TrafalGarGroup poll from this weekend found that 53.7% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, while 45.6% disapprove. The Morning Consult tracker poll taken this weekend reported a drop to 46% approval rating and a 51% that disapprove. The Economist/YouGov poll taken this week, shows Trump improving with a 45% favorability versus 53% unfavorable. Americans expressed the most important issue was overwhelmingly focused on inflation/prices, followed by jobs and the economy, health care, immigration and civil rights. In this weekend's Quantus Insights poll, Trump's job approval improved with 48.3% approval versus 47.8% that disapprove and 3.9% that had no opinion. RealClear Polling which encompasses the average of different 15 different pollsters, including all those mentioned above, shows Trump's overall favorability at 47.5% and 49.7% that disapprove. These numbers have improved since his lows at the end of April, when it reached a 52.4% disapproval rating and 45.1% favorable approval rating. According to Civiqs polls, last updated June 2, Trump's approval ratings have dropped about three points in The Keystone State compared to what Pennsylvanians thought of his performance in January. About 53% of Pennsylvanians polled currently disapprove of the president's performance, up from 50% on Jan. 20. Only 43% of the commonwealth gave Trump a thumbs up as of early June, down from 46% six months ago. These polling numbers were also broken down by age, education, gender, race and party. Age: Those between 18-34 were most unfavorable of Trump (60%), while those 50 to 64 were the most favorable (55%). Education: Postgraduate students were most unfavorable toward Trump (68%). Non-college graduates were most favorable (49%). Gender: Men and women are split on Trump, more than half of females (58%) holding an unfavorable view and more than half of males (52%) having a favorable view of the president. Party: Members of the Republican party were 87% favorable of Trump, compared to the Democratic party, who felt just 3% favorable of the president's performance. Independent voters leaned unfavorable (48%). Race: Black voters had the highest unfavorable opinion of Trump (89%), followed by other races at 59%, Hispanic/Latino at 57% and white at 46%. Note: Polls are constantly changing and different pollsters ask different varieties of the population. These numbers were reflected as of Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 10 a.m. This article originally appeared on Donald Trump presidential approval rating today in PA vs. nationally
USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
Don't worry about NBA Finals TV ratings. Appreciate Pacers-Thunder for what it is.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The email hit my inbox with the subject line 'Will viewers watch Pacers-Thunder?' The headline in the newsletter from Front Office Sports: 'History shows Pacers vs. Thunder may draw record-low ratings.' It's not the first time and won't be the last time that TV ratings accompany a discussion of this season's NBA Finals between Indiana and Oklahoma City. The small-market matchup has generated this idea that there isn't or won't be interest. The NBA biosphere seems to thrive on debate and criticism with an emphasis on how some aspect of the game isn't good enough and can be better. The reflexive contempt for teams not from the coasts or bigger markets is odd. It's not my job to sell this series. That's on the NBA and its TV partner, Disney's ABC, which is televising the Finals, with Game 1 on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET. There are factors outside of the NBA and ABC's control. A short, lopsided and uncompetitive series can have an impact regardless of the teams playing. But this is a series that features this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder, three All-Stars in Gilgeous-Alexander, teammate Jalen Williams and Indiana's Pascal Siakam. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was an All-Star in 2023 and 2024 and is playing like an All-Star in the playoffs. Both teams are deep, play hard offensively and defensively and have tremendous coaches. Neither spent outlandishly, incurring millions in luxury taxes. In fact, neither will pay a luxury tax this season. They emerged as the two best teams in the league ‒ rosters assembled with a savvy eye on making the parts fit. The matchup should be celebrated and appreciated. The Pacers and Thunder are on the cutting edge of today's NBA. They play pressure defense, try to dictate a fast pace and have the versatility to go 10-deep. It's exactly what fans of basketball should want. The NBA is in an era that fans should embrace. It's not the same teams and same players season after season. It's not the teams with the deepest pockets getting to the Finals all the time. Young, talented players are exposed to a wider audience. The Thunder have been the best team in the NBA all season and combining regular-season and playoff victories, they have won 80 games in 2024-25. Since Jan. 1, the Pacers have been one of the best teams in the league. The two fan bases are unique given the teams' locations and relationships to the communities. The Thunder are the only major pro sports team in the city, and basketball's hallowed place in the heart of Indiana culture is well known. "I understand that there would be concern for how many people would watch because they're smaller markets," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "But if we're celebrating the game and we're putting the game above all, which is one of the things that Adam Silver said when he became commissioner, then it really shouldn't matter. … "So I know that we're going to do our very best to represent our city, our state at the best possible level. Thunder will do the same. This really hopefully is about the quality of the games. We got our work cut out for us there." If that's not compelling enough to get your interest, that's a you problem as much as anything. The Venn diagram of people who complain about the same teams and players getting to the Finals and complain about small-market teams in the Finals is probably close to a single circle. For the seventh consecutive season, the NBA will have a different champion, and this is the sixth consecutive Finals without a team that was in the Finals the previous season. This parity is not the result of one thing, but the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement with the players was designed to foster competitive balance. The CBA has teeth to it – mechanisms that make it more difficult for deep-pocketed teams to stack rosters. Those mechanisms are financially punitive and limit roster additions because of salary cap restrictions. In today's NBA, the Golden State Warriors would not have been able to add Kevin Durant to a roster with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green – without parting ways with Thompson or Green. Ahead of the 2023 CBA, the Boston Celtics built a roster featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis, and they are projected to pay nearly $240 million in luxury taxes and $230 million in salary – that's approaching nearly half a billion dollars, and that's why there is much discussion about the Celtics shedding salary and reducing their financial burden ahead of next season. In theory and practice, it leads to a greater distribution among more teams. This is what NBA owners – as a collective – wanted when they agreed to the CBA. It will be interesting to hear what Silver says about this Finals matchup when he meets with the media before Game 1. Regardless of ratings, the NBA has capitalized on multi-year TV deals. The NBA is wrapping up a nine-year, $24 billion deal, and the NBA embarks on a new TV deal next season that includes Amazon and NBC in addition to ESPN/ABC that is worth nearly $76 billion over 11 years. Silver has been agnostic on the topic of big-market teams vs. small-market teams winning titles. "As long as we can create something close to a level playing field in terms of the tools available to teams to compete, I'm absolutely fine with dynasties and I'm fine with new teams emerging every year," Silver said nearly a year ago. 'What the fans want to see is great competition. And for fans of whatever team they're rooting for, they want to believe that their team, regardless of the size of the market or the depth of the pockets of ownership, are in a position to compete in the same way the 29 other teams are." You can't force anyone to watch. Maybe it's a great Finals, maybe it's not. But dismissing the series before it begins means missing out on watching teams who envisioned how to win in today's NBA and made it happen. Follow NBA columnist Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt .
