$73 Million Left Lewis Hamilton Short of a Podium Involving NBA Star LeBron James & Soccer GOAT Lionel Messi

One of the upsides of being a sportsperson who has created a niche for themselves in their respective sports is the amount of marketability it brings with itself. Lewis Hamilton has dominated Formula 1 ever since the turbo-hybrid era of the sport kicked off in 2014. Naturally, the 38-year-old has become a household name and a global icon due to his exploits on track. Even though 2022 wasn’t the competitive year he would’ve been hoping for, off-track, the lad from Stevenage made a few high-profile moves to ensure he still is the one to look out for.

Apart from the racing accolades the Brit has achieved with McLaren and now, Mercedes, the Silver Arrows’ ace always creates a stir with how financially sound and viable he is as a person. In 2022, a troubled W13 meant that Hamilton couldn’t fight for that elusive 8th title that would’ve made him the undisputed GOAT of the sport. Nevertheless, the solid legacy he has created within and beyond the F1 paddock meant he was still a person who could be backed in the millions. But how much did his squalid season with the Brackley-based outfit cost him?

The list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in 2022 was recently revealed by Sportico. And without a shadow of a doubt, the 7x champ made the list. The Brit earned a whopping $42 million in terms of salary and winnings, and an eye-watering $12 million in endorsements. That being said, it still wasn’t enough for the him to crack the top 10, let alone the elusive top 3.

At the end of the day, Hamilton lost the top step of the podium to LeBron James by a mega $73 million. The top 3 was rounded off by World Cup winner Lionel Messi and Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Hamilton may have missed out on this particular podium, however, he can take solace in obliterating his arch-nemesis.

Lewis Hamilton leaves Max Verstappen in the dust

In the world of Formula 1, Max Verstappen destroyed the competition as he stomped to his second consecutive title. In all fairness, Verstappen and Hamilton weren’t even in the same league given the vast superiority of the RB18. That being said, when it came to who earned the big bucks, Verstappen has a lot to learn from the 7x champion.

Compared with Hamilton’s total of $54 million, Verstappen could only amass $43 million, split between a $39 million salary and $4 million in endorsements. The $11 million gap being made profound with the lack of endorsements the Dutch lion could secure as compared to Hamilton.

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In 2023, only beating Verstappen in terms of money won’t suffice for Hamilton. But can he take the challenge up to the 2x champion and fight for that world title?