Generation-Y: Top Paid Athletes

Being a twenty-something athlete has some advantages. You are probably at or nearing the peak of your career; your muscles throb with excitement, legs feel faster than a car…hell, you could lift a ton with one hand. Yes the world is yours; well, partly yours. These young people hold the major chunk of it, as they are the ones making the big bucks and making us jealous of their athletic talents, and bank accounts.

5 Top Paid Athletes

Lewis Hamilton – Easily one of the best drivers in Formula One right now, Hamilton can make a car move, and he makes it look easy. Recognized by many as possibly the next Michael Schumacher, Hamilton from age 8 has been driving karts and has not stopped progressing since. He has won numerous races and championships including – The British Championship, the Super one series, Formula Renault UK championship, and the GP2 championship. Now this is by no means any small feat as anybody who watches motorsports will tell you.

While doing this he was listed as SI’s 11^th highest paid athlete in the world in 2008, and also given the “Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” title (member level… or MBE), and is in place for a great future in f1.

Honourable Mention: Sebastian Vettel

Michelle Wie – Wie is an American golfer born in Hawaii of Koren parentage, who started playing golf at the young age of 4. (Yes–while you were busy discussing which power ranger was cooler, Wie was playing a golf.) In the year 2000 at 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for the womens US Amateur Public Links Championship, a year later she won the Hawaii Women’s Stroke Play Championship and the Jennie K. Wilson women’s invitational.

Her early wins at many events and drew the eyes of sponsors throughout her youth, and eventually in to 2005, when she decided to go professional, signing sponsorship deals with Nike and Sony. She later signed a deal with Omega Watch Company raking in (reported in 2007) over $19 million dollars a year from sponsorship alone. Currently ranked 14^th in the world, which may bring naysayers, Wie is only 20 and she has a bright golf future ahead of her.

Honourable mention: Jiyai Shin

Lionel Messi – A name most Americans will say, “huh…who?” when they hear. Despite that, Lionel Messi is a world renowned name in the football (soccer) world. Messi, an Argentinian football player who currently plays for Spanish La Liga giants, Barcelona. Messi has been receiving accolades from a young age, winning world young player of the year awards for 3 consecutive years between 2006-2008. He has also been regarded as Sports Illustrated’s 4^th highest paid player in 2008 raking in over $35 million dollars a year, a minority of that figure which comes from endorsements by companies like Adidas. He is also estimated to be worth a transfer fee equal to or more than Christiano Ronaldo’s, aka: £80 million pounds.

Honourable Mention: Christiano Ronaldo

Lebron James – Come on, you cant tell me you didn’t expect to see this name on the list. Lebron james is right now at the top of the basketball world, I mean seriously, his nickname is King James. At age 18 (2003) he was the number 1 draft pick and had already signed a shoe deal with Nike – the monetary value of which I will tell you later. He has won numerous awards including Rookie of the year (2003), Most valuable player (2008), and has also been both an NBA all star for every season since 2005. In addition internationally he has also won Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing games and bronze in the 2004 Olympics. Now remember that Nike Sponsorship deal I spoke about earlier? That was for $90 Million dollars, but he also has endorsements with Sprite, Glaceau, Bubbilicious, Upper Deck and State Farm. Sports Illustrated estimates that James made over $167 million during his first 5 seasons in the NBA and currently places his yearly earnings at $40 million most of which come from endorsements. The man is simply a ball playing, money making fiend.

Honourable Mention: Rajon Rondo.

1. Usain Bolt –  For all you people whom were living under a rock, Usain Bolt is a Jamaican (yea, I’m biased) sprinter who is a 3 time Olympic Medalist and also a 2 time World Youth Champion. He took the world by storm by winning and destroying the world records in the 100 metres, 200 metres and the 4×100 metres races (which he shares with teammates Michael Frater, Asafa Powell and Nesta Carter). In 2009, he then furthered his dominance in sprinting by not only winning in these events but yet again breaking the records he set the year before (minus the 4×100 metre record)…By the way, his nickname, freakin’ “Lightning Bolt!” This man is so fast, he has broken records which scientists had deemed impossible to break. Also to add to his awesomeness, Blot is also an avid footballer and cricketer as has been shown in recent accomplishments.

Bolt is endorsed by Puma, Gatorade and a Jamaican Telecoms company named Digicel, earning him a paltry $3 million dollars in earnings per year; but his endorsements have grown and he has been offered a $115 million deal from a Chinese sports company, and also commands $250,000 in appearance fee’s – as in, each time he races he is paid $250,000 (remember he races the 100 and the 200 so multiply by 2 if he runs both), if he enters 4 races in a week, he would earn a million dollars, if he does that for 4 weeks, 4 million dollars… you do the math. Also to be added in is the fact that he’s given a bonus each time he breaks the world record (he’s done it 5 times) and is planning to enter the IAAF diamond league next year which will be 14 different races (28 if he decides to run both the 100 and 200), and if he manages to gain the most points he will then be awarded a 14 karat diamond. Lets just say, money is no object to this lightning Bolt.

Honourable Mention: Shelly Ann Fraser