UFC star, Conor McGregor beats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to be named world's richest athlete
Thompson Nsisongabasi
May 13, 2021
Conor McGregor has been ranked as Forbes' highest-paid athlete, beating out competition from the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton to claim the number one spot.
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The majority of his revenue has come from ventures which include an array of endorsement deals.
According to Forbes, the Irish UFC star made a total of $180 million over the last 12 months. Most of the money came from his recent sale of his majority stake in whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million
McGregors also made money from product endorsements after adding DraftKings, the video game Dystopia: Contest of Heroes and the lifestyle brand Roots of Fight to his portfolio that has included campaigns with Burger King in the past, and a lucrative deal to wear Monster Energy's logo on his fight shorts.
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The MMA fighter is now the third athlete in history to have made more than $70 million outside of their sport, joining Roger Federer and Tiger Woods.
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Behind McGregor in second is FC Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi, who made $130 million in 2020, with $97 million coming "on the field,ÔÇØ while his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo takes the last spot on the podium, as he finished last year with $120 million.
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Forbes' Top 10 Richest Athletes
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1. Conor McGregor - $180 million
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2. Lionel Messi - $130 million
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3. Cristiano Ronaldo - $120 million
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4. Dak Prescott - $107.5 million
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5. LeBron James - $96.5 million
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6. Neymar - $95 million
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7. Roger Federer - $90 million
8. Lewis Hamilton - $82 million
9. Tom Brady - $76 million
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10. Kevin Durant - $75 million
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— Thompson Nsisongabasi