Cristiano Ronaldo officially entered the Billionaire Athletes Club, joining an exclusive global league. Record-breaking contracts, sponsorship deals, and the growing CR7 brand cement his status as a sports business titan.
Ronaldo’s achievement sparks a renewed debate: does sports money surpass music money? Stars like Taylor Swift and Burna Boy prove that musicians can also reach staggering wealth through tours, merchandise, and brand ownership.
The Global Money Machine: Sports vs Music
Sports and music dominate global earnings, but their revenue streams differ. Athletes earn mostly from club contracts, sponsorships, and transfers. LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi extend their wealth through business and investments. Musicians, however, rely on streaming royalties, catalog ownership, tours, merchandise, and brand collaborations. Both sectors reward visibility, influence, and strategic branding.
Top-Earning Sportsmen of 2025 (2025)
These are Forbes’ current estimates as of September 2025.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Football): $275 Million
The Portuguese superstar achieved the distinction of being the first active team-sport athlete to reach the billion-dollar mark. He is now a sports business titan thanks to his record-breaking Al Nassr agreement in Saudi Arabia and his CR7 lifestyle brand.
Stephen Curry (Basketball): $156million
Stephen Curry, the star of the Golden State Warriors, has a record NBA salary and runs an empire of endorsement deals. His lifetime contract with Unanimous Media, a media company, and Under Armour’s Curry Brand greatly increases his income outside of basketball.
Tyson Fury(Boxing): $146million
The British heavyweight champion’s enormous income is derived from pay-per-view agreements and successful boxing contests. Fury’s riches is partly a result of his involvement in entertainment and brand endorsements.
Dak Prescott(American Football): $137million
The quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys has one of the most lucrative contracts in the NFL. Major endorsement deals with brands like Jordan Brand, Pepsi, and Sleep Number are among his sources of revenue.
Lionel Messi (Football): $135 Million
Even as his playing career comes to an end, the Argentine World Cup winner’s fortune is sustained by his relocation to Inter Miami and his international alliances with Pepsi, Apple, and Adidas.
LeBron James (Basketball): $133.8 Million
The NBA player makes money via his investments in SpringHill Company, Blaze Pizza, and Fenway Sports Group, as well as from his Los Angeles Lakers contract and Nike lifetime deal. Only two active athletes are billionaires, and LeBron is one of them.
Juan Soto (Baseball): $114million
Juan Soto, an outfielder for the New York Yankees, is the highest paid player in Major League Baseball due to his record-breaking contract and growing endorsement portfolio. His increasing riches has been propelled by his recent performances and marketability.
Karim Benzema (Football): $104 Million
The French striker makes a lot of money from his endorsement deals with Adidas and other international companies, as well as his contract with Saudi club Al-Ittihad. His income grew dramatically after he joined the Saudi Pro League.
Shohei Ohtani (Baseball): $102.5 Million
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Ohtani, MLB’s two-way star, inked a record-breaking contract. His enormous endorsement income from companies like Seiko and New Balance reflects his widespread appeal.
Kevin Durant (Basketball): $101.4 Million
Durant makes money from his business endeavors through Boardroom and Thirty Five Ventures in addition to his NBA salary with the Phoenix Suns. His long-term financial success is further enhanced by his contract with Nike.
The Music Industry’s Money Royalty
Although Forbes stopped its annual highest-paid musicians list after 2019, live touring dominated 2024 earnings, accounting for 70-90% of most artists’ income. Streaming, merchandise, and endorsements added revenue, while major catalog sales mainly benefited deceased artists’ estates. Pollstar’s year-end data ranks the top 10 highest-earning musicians of 2024 by tour gross, reflecting global ticket sales and serving as a strong proxy for overall earnings.
Taylor Swift(The Eras Tour) Gross: $2.2 billion |
Taylor Swift broke records with her tour, becoming the first to surpass $2 billion in gross revenue. Her net earnings likely exceeded $1 billion, fueled by merchandise and film rights.
Coldplay (Music of the Spheres World Tour) Gross: $421.7 million
The band’s eco-friendly stadium run set the all-time attendance record for a single tour (10.3 million total), with strong merch and sustainability tie-ins adding revenue.
P!NK (Summer Carnival Tour / P!NK Live 2024) Gross: $367.3 million
Dual tours supporting her Trustfall album delivered high-energy acrobatics and family appeal, pushing her into the $300M+ club.
Luis Miguel (Luis Miguel Tour) Gross: $261.5 million
The Latin legend’s comeback packed arenas across Latin America and the U.S., capitalizing on nostalgia for his bolero hits.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (2024 World Tour) Gross: $251.3 million
The Boss’s marathon sets in stadiums drew die-hard fans, with royalties from his prior catalog sale providing a steady backdrop.
The Rolling Stones (Hackney Diamonds Tour) Gross: $235.1 million
Mick, Keith, and Ronnie’s U.S.-focused run promoted their late-career album, proving rock icons still command premium pricing.
Bad Bunny (Most Wanted Tour) Gross: $210.9 million
The Puerto Rican star’s arena jaunt averaged $280/ticket, blending reggaeton with theatrical elements for massive Latin market draw.
Zach Bryan (The Quitting Time Tour) Gross: $199.2 million
The country-folk breakout’s amphitheater run reflected streaming-fueled rise, with low production costs maximizing artist take-home.
Metallica (M72 World Tour) Gross: $179.4 million
The thrash metal giants’ innovative “no-repeat” nights in stadiums appealed to core fans, grossing high per show.
Madonna (The Celebration Tour) Gross: $178.8 million
The Queen’s career-spanning retrospective wrapped in a blaze of theatrical glory, her final major outing before retirement hints.
Nigeria’s Perspective: Sports vs Afrobeats
In Nigeria, Victor Osimhen tops football earnings at $12M, with Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi earning $6-8M. Afrobeats stars like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido earn $20-30M annually, surpassing footballers with global tours, streaming, and brand deals.
Emerging artists like Asake, Rema, and Tems are rapidly increasing earnings through tours and partnerships.
Nigeria’s Financial Scoreboard
In Nigeria’s entertainment economy, music money currently beats sports money, and by a wide margin.
While Victor Osimhen’s $12 million salary makes him Africa’s football king, Burna Boy and Wizkid both earned more than double that in 2025 alone. Their streaming figures, global concert tours, and endorsement portfolios have made them international icons on par with their Western peers.
The gap reflects opportunity and structure: Nigeria’s football (which is the most commercialized sport in the nation) exports earn salaries in foreign leagues where competition is fierce and limited by club contracts. In contrast, Afrobeats artists have leveraged digital streaming and global fanbases to scale revenue endlessly.
Who Really Wins the Money Game?
At first glance, athletes appear to earn more with massive salaries. Ronaldo and Messi make headlines, but music often surpasses sports in long-term wealth. Taylor Swift earned more than Ronaldo in 2024 due to touring and catalog ownership. Yet, for middle-tier earners, football still wins, a bench player in Europe’s top leagues can earn more in a year than many mid-level musicians make in five.
Musicians often retain rights to their work, generating passive income long after release. Football creates instant millionaires; music creates generational wealth. Yet the lines blur. Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Burna Boy show that modern stars in both sports and music are not just athletes or artists; they are global brands dominating the money game.
