Even without knowing the exact figures, most people will agree that professional athletes earn a tremendous lot of money. We won’t go into any debates on whether they truly deserve their huge salaries when compared to other more valuable members of society because that’s what usually this conversation turns into whenever this particular debate starts.
We will, however, try to understand exactly how much money they make and what for. Like you may have already guessed, some athletes earn money not from their salaries alone but through media exposure and commercial interests as well. So to keep things simple, here are the ten highest paid athletes in the world right now.
10Matt Ryan
Ryan may not be the most famous sportsman in the world but he is nevertheless one of the best paid out there. He is a quarterback for Atlanta Falcons and he makes $43.8 million annually. In 2015, he signed a new 5-year contract making him the Falcons’ franchise quarterback. The contract is worth $103.75 million and it includes a $28 million signing bonus along with a $12 million option bonus.
