With the multibillion-dollar sports industry growing exponentially every year, several athletes are now living the life of their dreams. Today, there are huge TV contracts, partnerships, endorsement deals and sponsorships all targeted to establishing a mutually beneficial relationship between brands and athletes. As a result, even black athletes can now enjoy the fruits of their labour by cashing big on this lucrative venture.
Here’s a list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2020, as revealed by Forbes.
- Russell Wilson – American Football
With Wilson’s four-year contract extension at $140 million, he’s NFL’s highest-paid athlete. Wilson also has the highest annual average salary of $35 million per season. Even better, the Seattle hawks quarterback got the highest signing bonus of $65 million in the League’s history.
Wilson’s annual salary tops the average yearly salary of Aaron Rodgers, who was the highest-paid NFL player before Russel overtook him. Last year, Wilson took home over $79 million, with $9 million being from other deal off the field.
- Lebron James – Basketball
At 31 years, Lebron James was eighth in the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes in 2019, taking the second place in the world highest paid black athletes. Last year, Lebron earned a total of $92 million, with $37 million coming from his salary, while $55 million accounted for his endorsements by Coca-Cola, KIA Motors, Nike, RIMOWA and Beats Electronics.
For punters looking to take advantage of the Betway win boost, Lebron James is among the best athletes you can bet on without being disappointed. Even better, experts predict that his annual salary this year will rise to over $39 million.
- Steph Curry – Basketball
Another basketball athlete, Steph Curry rivalled Lebron James annual earnings from his salary last year, taking home a total sum of over $37.8 million. The 31-year-old Golden State Warriors player signed his first $200 million NBA contract in 2017, making him the highest-paid basketball athlete for two seasons in a row. Last year, the two-time MVP earned a cool $42 million from his endorsements by Nissan Motor, Chase and Under Armour.
- Kevin Durant – Basketball
While Kevin Durant is unlikely to start the 2019-2020 campaign for the Brooklyn nets following an Achilles injury, he’s still among the highest-paid black NBA athletes in the World. Durant is hoping to go back to his old form during the last three years of his contract, making him a worthy choice for Betway basketball punters.
Last year, Durant got a total sum of $65.4 million, with $30.4 million accounting for his salary. He also received $35 million from his sponsorship by Nike, Google and Alaska Air Group.
- Tiger Woods
While Tiger Woods is among the highest-paid athletes in the world, this golf champion earns most of his money away from his salary. Last year, one of his biggest paydays was from the 2019 Tour Championship where he earned a total of $4.6 million. However, his endorsement deals from Rolex, TaylorMade, Nike, Hero Motocorp, Upper Deck and Monster Energy earned him $54 million.
