Who Becomes the Next Billionaire in Sports? Ranking 76 of the World's Richest Athletes

Canelo Álvarez is projected to become the world's next billionaire athlete, according to a new study by THANTAI88. With more athletes than ever crossing the billion-dollar threshold, a new study by the entertainment platform reveals which sports stars are on track to join the exclusive three-comma club.

The study evaluated 76 athletes, projecting each athlete's net worth forward based on current earnings, age, and a retention factor that accounts for taxes and personal spending. An age-based earnings decline was applied, with younger athletes maintaining full earning potential while older stars saw their income taper off over time. The model stepped forward year by year until each athlete's net worth reached $1 billion. Athletes with confirmed net worth already at or above $1 billion (Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods) were excluded from the ranking entirely.

Only 29 of the 76 Athletes Studied Are Even Projected to Get There

The ranking looks like a countdown of 76 athletes, but most of them never actually appear in it. Just 29 athletes, 38% of the pool, are projected to reach $1 billion at all under the model's assumptions. The remaining 47, including stars like Chris Paul, Aaron Rodgers, and Mohamed Salah, are classified “Unlikely under current trajectory,” meaning their current earnings and age simply don't add up to a billion-dollar net worth before age 80. The published top 10 isn't a snapshot of who's closest among equals. It's the fastest-moving fraction of a much smaller group that qualifies at all.

1. Canelo Álvarez

Canelo Álvarez is on track to become the next athlete to cross the billion-dollar threshold, with projections placing him there by 2037 at age 47. His $137 million annual paycheck ranks second among the top ten, and at 35 years old, this Mexican boxer still has a decade of prime earning years ahead. Each fight seems to bring a bigger purse, and his consistency inside the ring has turned into a reliable wealth-building machine outside of it.

2. Kylian Mbappé

At just 41 years old, the French soccer star is projected to become a billionaire by 2039, making him the youngest athlete in the ranking to reach that milestone. His $95 million yearly income keeps climbing, and his age gives him a significant advantage, assuming he sustains his current earning levels for years. Mbappé's global appeal and marketability make him one of the safest investments in the sporting world.

3. Jon Rahm

The Spanish golfer has averaged $137 million per year over the past five years, the highest figure in the entire top ten, and is projected to reach $1 billion by 2042 at age 48. His move to LIV Golf gave his earnings a massive boost, and his reliable performances on the course keep the money flowing. Golf's extended career window allows Rahm to stay competitive well into his 40s, which works in his favour.

4. Tyson Fury

The British heavyweight has pulled in $147 million recently and is expected to join the billionaire club by 2043 at age 55. Fury's ability to generate massive paydays from title fights has accelerated his financial trajectory, and his knack for creating hype around his bouts ensures he stays relevant. Boxers typically earn their biggest purses later in their careers, a pattern that plays directly into Fury's hands.

5. Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is projected to hit a billion by 2043 at age 59, matching Fury's timeline. He earns $100 million each year, and his longevity in Formula 1, combined with his business ventures and endorsement deals, continues to push his net worth upward. Even as he gets older, his brand strength remains one of the most powerful in sports, ensuring his earning power stays strong.

The Data Doesn't Quite Back the Endorsement Theory

The study's own spokesperson credits endorsements and business moves, more than sport earnings, for pushing athletes toward billionaire status. The numbers tell a more mixed story. Canelo Álvarez, the athlete projected to get there fastest, earns just 7.7% of his income from endorsements, the lowest share of anyone in the top 10. Compare that to Shohei Ohtani, who derives 85.7% of his earnings from endorsements, the highest share in the top 10, yet doesn't reach $1 billion until 2046, ninth on the list. Across the full top 10, the average endorsement share is 33%, meaning two-thirds of the average athlete's earnings still come directly from their sport, not the brand deals building around it.

The Highest Net Worth in the Study Still Isn't Enough

Chris Paul holds the highest current net worth of any non-billionaire in the study at an estimated $253 million, more than double Canelo Álvarez's starting point. Yet Paul is classified “Unlikely under current trajectory.” At 41 years old, he's already sliding into the model's steepest earnings-decline brackets, and his most recent tracked annual earnings ($38.5 million) are too modest to compound into a billion before the model's age-80 cutoff. It's a reminder that a head start in net worth matters less in this model than how much an athlete is still actively earning, and how many high-earning years they have left.

There is a common misconception that athletes become billionaires through their contracts alone. The reality is that endorsements and smart investments often outpace the money they earn from their sport. A fighter like Canelo or a soccer player like Mbappé is not just building wealth through their sport; they are building it through every partnership, every brand deal, and every business move they make. The billion-dollar athletes are the ones who understand that their name is worth just as much as their game (and sometimes even more).

Heather Gartland, THANTAI88 Analyst

The Complete Field: Every Projected Billionaire, Ranks 11 Through 29

The countdown above covers the top 10, but 29 athletes in total are projected to reach $1 billion under this model. Here's the rest of the field, from Karim Benzema just outside the top 10 down to Jimmy Butler at the very end of the list.

Worth noting: 47 of the 76 athletes studied, including Chris Paul, Aaron Rodgers, James Harden, Mohamed Salah, and Kevin De Bruyne, are classified “Unlikely under current trajectory” and don't appear in the ranking at all, despite some holding net worths well above $100 million already.

You can access the complete research findings here.