Perhaps unsurprisingly, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan was determined to be the richest athlete in history. Adjusted for inflation, Woods has earned over $2.8billion across his lengthy and ongoing career. Rounding out the top five are a pair of global football rivals as third-place Cristiano Ronaldo ($2.52billion) beat out fifth-place Lionel Messi ($1.99b). Between the two of them is another NBA star, LeBron James - who is estimated to have earned $2.03billion when adjusted for inflation. Tennis icon Serena Williams was the only woman represented on the list, sitting tied for 40th and earning an estimated $680million.

Source: Daily Mail April 03, 2026 18:43 UTC