Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen Make the World's Athletes' Rich List

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen Make the World's Athletes' Rich List

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are among the global elite in sports earnings for 2025.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton ranked slightly higher than four-time champion Max Verstappen on Forbes' annual list of the world’s highest-paid athletes.

Hamilton was tied for 22nd place with boxer Canelo Alvarez, earning a total of $80 million over the past 12 months.

Verstappen secured the 24th spot, just ahead of footballer Neymar Jr, with earnings of $78 million. The majority of this amount, an estimated $72 million, came from his salary and bonuses with Red Bull. The remaining $6 million was from commercial deals, including personal sponsorships and merchandise.

Hamilton's earnings profile differed: while he earned less from on-track activities last year ($60 million), his off-track commercial activities, including investments and endorsements, generated more income.

The Forbes list is predominantly filled with athletes from ball sports. For the third consecutive year, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with a staggering total income of $275 million.

Second place went to basketball player Stephen Curry with $156 million, and boxer Tyson Fury completed the top three with $146 million.

The athlete at the bottom of this exclusive list was New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, with earnings of $53.6 million. Forbes noted that this amount would have placed him sixth overall eight years ago, highlighting the significant increase in sports personality earnings over time.

Forbes stated that "Landing a spot on the exclusive list is harder than ever."