Forbes ranks world highest paid athletes and Mayweather and Messi are leading
Forbes ranks world highest paid athletes and Mayweather and Messi are leading Forbes has ranked the highest paid athletes in the world and former boxer Floyd Mayweather and football player Lionel Messi are leading. These athletes make their money not just from sports but also from endorsements and TV contracts. Below is a report by Forbes staff, Kurt Badenhausen: Floyd Mayweather heads the world’s highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in seven years, thanks to a $275 million payday for his August boxing match against UFC star Conor McGregor. The two fighters defied naysayers who said the match would never take place and laughed all the way to the bank, with career-high paydays. McGregor’s take: an estimated $85 million, more than five times his previous biggest check. Fans couldn’t resist tuning in to see if the brash McGregor could take away Mayweather’s beloved ‘0.’ The two fighters produced an entertaining 10-round battle, and viewers around the globe watched Mayweather i