The Wall St. Cheat Sheet compiles a list of wealthy athletes every year based on their endorsement income, and this year there are two athletes tied for the number one spot. Golf superstar Tiger Woods and Tennis champ Roger Federer tied for number one in terms of endorsement deals over the course of the past year.
Roger Federer
With $65 million in endorsement income over the past year, the tennis pro is not struggling. This ties him for the top spot at the wealthiest athlete in the world in terms of endorsements, which is good news for Federer. Since his tennis skills are good enough to earn him the reputation as one of the best tennis players in the world, it’s not enough to name him the best tennis player in the world, so at least he gets to top this list. Federer is raking in the dough on the tennis court, but it’s off the court his bank balance is really seeing growth. He’s signed with companies such as Nike, Moet & Chandon and Mercedes-Benz, which earn him a cool $65 per year.
Tiger Woods
Also topping the list with $65 million in endorsements annually is golf legend Tiger Woods. Though his reputation over the past several years has been splashed more frequently on the cover of PEOPLE Magazine than the cover of Golf Digest, he’s still one of the greatest golfers in the world. Thanks to his recent back surgery, however, everyone’s favorite golfer is out until further notice. This means he’s earned just shy of $90,000 this year on the course. The rest of his income comes from endorsements with major brands such as Rolex, Upper Deck and Nike. Even if he never makes a golf comeback, it’s safe to say Woods is good to go after breaking the $1 billion earnings bracket last year.
If it seems surprising to see a tennis pro and a golfer atop the list of highest earning athletes in terms of endorsements, it might not seem so surprising to see names on the top 10 that include NBA stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant not too far from the top.
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