By Kira Grant
Billions of viewers. The moral support of countries. Weeks of stormy TV coverage around the world. All the participants have Olympic Glory in the back of their minds, but few do it for the money and it is certainly not easy to get rich.
Paying for coaches, on-site equipment and state-of-the-art equipment that can cost tens of thousands of dollars can turn the opportunity into a huge waste of money. For some, the cost of a trip to the Olympics may be so high that they have to turn to a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs. In 2016, thousands of users donated $ 750.000 to help fund the trips of more than 140 athletes. The victory also helps cover part of the cost, with each gold medal bringing in US athletes $ 37.500, the silver medal $ 22.500 and the bronze medal $ 15.000.
While some champions are backed by "golden contracts" - including two defending Olympians, athlete Simone Biles and swimmer Katie Ledecky - and are able to increase their winnings, the safest way to leave Tokyo this summer with a big cash prize is to arrive having already one. Thanks to a decision made decades ago that allows professional athletes to compete, this year's Games are once again hosting not only declining career athletes who are counting on recovery but also some of the world's top athletes.
Among Tokyo's top winners: three professional tennis players, one golfer and five NBA players (two less than last week, with one injured and one with a coronavirus).
1. Kevin Durand, 32, $ 75 million
The Brooklyn Nets star, who already has two Olympic gold medals in his record, has seen his off-field investments reach these values within the four rows of the floor. The two-time NBA champion is the new media mogul, with his own channel, called Boardroom, a stake in MLS Philadelphia Union and his own venture capital company, Thirty Five Ventures. He leads Team USA for the second time, without LeBron James and the late Kobe Bryant, who last competed in 2012. It is Durand's third Olympic appearance, who hopes to lead Team USA to a fourth consecutive gold with several newcomers to the Olympics in the team.
2. Naomi Osaka, 23 years old $ 60 million
For the second year in a row, Osaka broke the record of women's profits in the world, surpassing the legendary Serena Williams, but also Maria Sharapova. The 23-year-old - considered the next big thing in world tennis - has won $ 55 million in sponsorships and another $ 5 million in prizes in the last 12 months. With more than 20 partner companies - including Google, Louis Vuitton, Workday and Levi's - Osaka sits at No. 12 on Forbes' list of the highest paid athletes in 2021, with Serena at No. 28.
3. Damian Lillard, 31, $ 40,5 million
The Portland Blazers point guard and six-time NBA All-Star recently showed around the world that in addition to being a great basketball player, he is also a magnet for marketing deals. The 31-year-old entered into agreements with Adidas, Gatorade, Hulu and 2K Sports, among others. In 2014, a $ 10 million 100-year deal was renegotiated with Adidas for the Dame sneaker model. He is known by the musical nickname Dame DOLLA (Different On Levels the Lord Allows) and has released three music albums through the company Front Page Music. In addition, she participates in the new movie Space Jam, but also in her song.
4. Novak Djokovic, 34, $ 34,5 million
The world's top tennis player is the only member of the Big Three to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, following the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. Djokovic recently caught the other two tennis legends at the top of the table, after winning Wimbledon and winning 20 trophies. Of course, at the upcoming US Open, in September, he intends to break this tie, while holding a Grand Slam (Winning all four Open in a calendar year). The top-ranked tennis player put $ 2,4 million in his pocket as a prize since his victory at Wimbledon. The 34-year-old Serbian star earned a total of $ 30 million off the field, from sponsorship deals with companies such as Lacoste, Peugeot, NetJets and the Austrian tennis equipment company Head.
5. Rory McIlroy, 32, $ 32 million
Rory McIlroy, considered one of the biggest names in golf along with Tiger Woods and Phil Michelson, has also become one of the sport's most marketable players. The 32-year-old raised $ 29 million off the golf course in 12 months, working with brands such as Nike, Omega and UnitedHealth Group. McIlroy's biggest check to date for his performance on the pitch was the $ 15 million prize pool when he won the FedEx Cup in 2019. That year proved to be extremely lucrative as the deal with NBCSports came after that success. for GolfPass, a $ 10-a-month subscription streaming package with exclusive instructions from the golf star himself.
6. Devin Booker, 24, $ 30,5 million
The NBA superstar has conquered the basketball world, launching the Phoenix Suns to the top of the league with the help of a renewed Chris Paul. The 24-year-old, who is compared by many to the legend Coby Bryant, became the highest paid player in the history of the Suns by signing a five-year contract of 158 million dollars in 2018. The two-time All-Star earns 7 million dollars from contracts outside parquet, with its sponsors including Nike and Call of Duty.
7. Kay Nishikori, 31, $ 30,5 million
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kay Nishikori won the bronze, giving Japan its first tennis medal in 96 years (note that the sport withdrew from the Olympic program after 1924 and returned in 1988). This was followed by another great achievement at the 2014 US Open, where he became the first Asian in history to reach a Grand Slam final. The 31-year-old earns $ 30 million from companies such as Japan Airlines, Lixil and Nissin - all listed as official Olympic partners. Playing in his homeland in Japan, Nishikori should be one of the faces of the Tokyo Games.
8. Chris Middleton, 29, $ 27 million
Like his NBA Finals opponent, Devin Booker, the talented Milwaukee Bucks player said he intended to play in the Olympics and was included in Team USA's roster, although he was not sure when the finals would be completed. Middleton re-signed with the Bucks in 2019 a five-year contract of 178 million dollars, after stabilizing his position as the No. 2 choice of the team behind Giannis Antetokounbo. The 29-year-old All-Star billionaire has partnerships with Nike, Verizon, Panini and Unilever, but makes most of his money from his performance on the floor.
9. Crow Holliday, 31, $ 23 million
Twelve years after starting his NBA career, Jru Holliday represents the United States for the first time in Tokyo. The 31-year-old guard has a $ 2 million sponsorship portfolio that includes deals with Nike, Microsoft, ONYX, Momentous, Amp and Panini. He agreed to stay in Milwaukee earlier this year with a four-year contract extension worth at least $ 134 million.
Methodology
To compile this list, Forbes monitored revenue collected between May 1, 2020 and May 1, 2021, based on conversations with industry insiders. Numerical winnings, rounded to the nearest half a million, include both on-field income (from cash prizes, salaries and bonuses) and off-site revenue (from sponsorships, appearance commissions and special license agreements). NBA figures show a 20% reduction in players' basic salaries to allow the league to cope with the pandemic financial losses.
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