Virat Kohli only Indian on Forbes' list of richest athletes
On Tuesday, Forbes released its list of richest top 100 athletes and the only Indian to feature on this coveted list was Virat Kohli. The captain of Indian cricket team took the 100th position in the list as his annual earnings were recorded at $25 million. Last year, Kohli was placed at the 83rd spot. Star footballer Lionel Messi topped the list. Here's more.
Kohli earned $21 million through endorsements
According to the magazine, Kohli earned $4 million from salary and wins and $21 million from endorsements. As compared to last year, Kohli earned $1 million more from endorsements. Last year, the top position was held by retired boxer Floyd Mayweather. This time, Messi dethroned him by earning $127 million from matches, endorsements, and bonuses. He was followed by Cristiano Ronaldo who earned $109 million.
35 NBA stars made it to the list
NBA stars led the way, as many as 35 NBA stars featured on the list. Last year, this count was 40. With 19 athletes, the NFL was the next best-represented sport. 15 athletes from Baseball fraternity, 12 from soccer, and five each from golf, boxing and tennis made it to the list. Like cricket, mixed martial arts also had a lone representative.
Forbes' list confirmed that US athletes are the richest
Certainly, the athletes of the US are richest. This time 62 US athletes featured in the list, down from 65 in 2018. Five UK athletes, including Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and boxer Anthony Joshua, made it to the list. Two athletes each from Spain and France featured on the list. Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Serbia, and Venezuela had two athletes each.
Serena Williams is the only woman on Forbes' list
Tennis star Serena Williams was the only woman on the list. While no woman qualified in 2018, in 2017 too, Williams didn't have the company of other female athletes. Her earnings were recorded at $29.2 million. Interestingly, Williams jumped back in the court after the birth of her daughter Olympia. Recently, she partnered with brands like Nike, Wilson, JPMorgan Chase, Lincoln, Gatorade, and Beats.
