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Wealth

Athletes With the Most Endorsement Money

naomiosaka / Instagram

It’s time to give baseball legends Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Cy Young what they deserve. One century after they became the first pro athletes to promote various tobacco products, endorsements are what separate the women from the girls and the men from the boys in the money standings.

In this age of social media, a few high-profile players actually earn more from sponsorship deals than the games they play. These athletes reaped the most endorsement money in 2020.

How well do you know athletes? Test your knowledge with this highest-paid athletes quiz from Huge Quiz.

30. Anthony Joshua

Britain's Anthony Joshua fights against Erislandy Savon Cotilla
Patrick Semansky / AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Total earnings: $47 million

Endorsement earnings: $11 million

Top brand/company endorsements: Audemars Piguet, Beats Electronics, DAZN, Electronic Arts, Hugo Boss, Jaguar, Under Armour, William Hill

Note: Figures are from Forbes and include prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between June 1, 2019, and June 1, 2020. Those who were paid for seasons beyond that date were credited with full salaries. In the case of shortened seasons, salaries were reduced based on an estimate of cuts.

Bottom Line: Anthony Joshua

Britain's Anthony Joshua celebrates
Patrick Semansky / AP Photo

At last check, this two-time unified heavyweight champion claims more than a dozen corporate partners. It seems that people are drawn to his rags-to-riches story, more than 17 million  of them on social media alone. 

Close to one-quarter of his income came via endorsements deals. 

27. Mohamed Salah (Tie)

Mohamed Salah controls ball
Frank Augstein / AP Photo

Sport: Soccer

Total earnings: $35.1 million

Endorsement earnings: $12 million

Top brand/company endorsements: Adidas, DHL International, Electronic Arts, ExxonMobil, Vodafone-USD

Bottom Line: Mohamed Salah

Egypt's Mohamed Salah celebrates goal
Jon Super / AP Photo

The Egyptian King has parlayed his immense popularity into a gaggle of sponsorships, most notably a multi-year, $56.7 million deal with Adidas that accounted for more than one-third of his annual income. 

At 28, he’s already making plans for his next career. He started two real estate firms and one investment company in the first quarter of 2021.