Money may not be the be all and end all but it's a rather handy way of measuring success. Take Rory McIlroy for example, last year he came in at a very respectable 35th on Forbes rich list of the highest earning sportspeople. The fact that Tiger Woods was riding high in 6th was testament to the fact that Woods was still far and away the biggest name in golf.
Fast forward twelve months and things are beginning to change. Owing to Woods' mammoth endorsement deals, he's still ahead of McIlroy but things are a lot closer. The Norther Irishman has moved up to 12th in the rich list with earnings for the year totalling a hefty $48.3 million, with $32 million of that coming from endorsement and the rest from winnings.
That's slightly shy of Woods, who finds himself in 9th with $50.6 million. The fact that a whopping $50 million of that came from endorsements is a clear indication of what everyone already knew about Woods' career trajectory.
Topping the list, you won't be surprised to see, is Floyd Mayweather, whose megafight with Manny Pacquiao gave him the vast majority of his $300 million annual earnings. Pacquiao sits in second with $160 million while Cristiano Ronaldo's endorsement deals sees him edge Lionel Messi into fourth with $79.6 million and $73.8 million respectively.
Further down the list Man United fans may be interested to see the name of Radamel Falcao in 38th with the vast amount of his $25.9 million made up of a salary that many have said was not exactly earned during his time at Old Trafford.
As a comparison, Eden Hazard, the best player in the Premier League last season, sneaks onto the list in 90th place with earnings of $19.6 million.
[Forbes]
