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LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 02: Floyd Mayweather Jr. sits in his corner between rounds against Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight unification championship bout on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 02: Floyd Mayweather Jr. sits in his corner between rounds against Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight unification championship bout on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Boxing is a lucrative sport, that is both- dangerous and entertaining. Thus, it frequently rains money on its star faces and the list of the all-time richest athletes reflects more than one pugilist. Throughout the ages, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, and several others have been the prime figures of the sport. And they have all earned hefty paydays in their career.
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USA-based sports organizations like NBA and NFL are also known for their rich financial roots, but boxing may be on a whole different level. Reports of Sportico have listed the 25 richest athletes of all time. Interestingly, boxing, basketball, and golf rule most of the ecosystem. That said, four boxers have made it to the list.
NBA great Michael Jordan stands at the top with a total earning of $2.62 b. Well, the first boxer on the list isn’t too far. Nicknamed ‘Money’, Floyd Mayweather is synonymous with richness. The same gets reflected in the list as the undefeated five-division world champion is on the sixth spot with $1.2 billion.
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The next boxer on the list is Mike Tyson. During the late 80s to late 90s, Tyson was arguably the biggest name of the sporting community. The youngest heavyweight world champion gave some of the most financially successful fights of all time. He sits at #16 with an earning of $775 M.
Two rungs below, Manny Pacquiao sits at #18 with an earning of $630 M. Pacquiao and Mayweather had unveiled the richest fight of boxing in 2015. It fetched them good numbers that are still relevant. Meanwhile, Oscar De La Hoya is the fourth boxer to be on the list with $580M earnings. He came in at #23 on the list.
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Is Boxing dominating the finances of global sports
Boxing is somehow the richest sport in the world. But the entry of sponsorships and endorsements has changed the structure.
An athlete now makes a chunk of money even when inactive. Several more sports provide a steep competition, but boxing is still among the top-tier ones. Here’s a look at the list of all-time richest athletes.
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| Rank | Athlete | Country | Sport | Turned Pro | Inflation-adjusted amount | Non-inflation-adjusted amount |
| 1 | Michael Jordan | USA | Basketball | 1984 | $2.62 B | $2.05 B |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | USA | Golf | 1996 | $2.1 B | $1.66 B |
| 3 | Arnold Palmer | USA | Golf | 1954 | $1.5 B | $885 M |
| 4 | Jack Nicklaus | USA | Golf | 1961 | $1.38 B | $830 M |
| 5 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Soccer | 2002 | $1.24 B | $1.12 B |
| 6 | Floyd Mayweather | USA | Boxing | 1996 | $1.2 B | $1.08 B |
| 7 | LeBron James | USA | Basketball | 2003 | $1.17 B | $1.05 B |
| 8 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Soccer | 2004 | $1.14 B | $1.05 B |
| 9 | Michael Schumacher | Germany | Race | 1991 | $1.13 B | $780 M |
| 10 | Roger Federer | Switzerland | Tennos | 1998 | $1.12 B | $1 B |
| 11 | Phil Mickelson | USA | Golf | 1992 | $1.08 B | $885 M |
| 12 | David Beckham | UK | Soccer | 1992 | $1.05 B | $880 M |
| 13 | Kobe Bryant | USA | Basketball | 1996 | $930 M | $750 M |
| 14 | Shaquille O’Neal | USA | Basketball | 1992 | $870 M | $ 645 M |
| 15 | Greg Norman | Australia | Golf | 1976 | $815 M | $555 M |
| 16 | Mike Tyson | USA | Boxing | 1985 | $775 M | $445 M |
| 17 | Alex Rodriguez | USA | Baseball | 1993 | $650 M | $515 M |
| 18 | Manny Pacquiao | Philippines | Boxing | 1995 | $630 M | $550 M |
| 19 | Kevin Durant | USA | Basketball | 2007 | $625 M | $580 M |
| 20 | Lewis Hamilton | USA | Race | 2007 | $620 M | $560 M |
| 21 | Neymar | Brazil | Soccer | 2009 | $615 M | $580 M |
| 22 | Jeff Gordon | USA | Race | 1990 | $595 M | $450 M |
| 23 | Oscar De La Hoya | USA | Boxing | 1992 | $580 M | 405 M |
| 24 | Peyton Manning | USA | NFL | 1998 | $570 M | $460 M |
| 25 | Dereck Jetter | USA | Baseball | 1992 | $555 M | $435 M |
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