In what has left sports fans befuddled, Conor McGregor has beaten out competition from the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton to claim the number one spot on Forbes’ highest-paid athlete list.
It would be recalled that the Irish UFC star made a gigantic £106 million ($150 million) from his recent sale of whiskey brand Proper 12 to Proximo Spirits, as well as £15.5 million ($22 million) from his sporting endeavors.
Local reports stated that McGregor has also upped his game in terms of product endorsements, adding DraftKings, the video game Dystopia: Contest of Heroes and the lifestyle brand Roots of Fight to his portfolio that has included campaigns with Burger King in the past, and a lucrative deal to wear Monster Energy’s logo on his fight shorts.
The historic development is only the third time that an athlete has made more than £49.5 million ($70 million) away from their sport while actively competing, with tennis star Roger Federer and golfing icon Tiger Woods the other two to break that limit.
The top 10 features three other athletes who cracked $100 million since the onset of the pandemic. Football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo join McGregor in the hundred club, as does NFL quarterback Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.
The list is rounded out by NBA star LeBron James, PSG footballer Neymar, tennis legend Roger Federer, F1 star Sir Lewis Hamilton, Super Bowl-winning Tom Brady and Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant.
Speaking with fans, the Irishman said he was aiming to reach the number one spot during a Q&A, and has discussed the possibility of buying his childhood football teams Celtic and Manchester United.
It is important to note that McGregor is the first UFC fighter to top the list, and the first Irishman to do it.
