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The 20 highest earning athletes of the 2012 Olympics (20 Photos)

August 6, 2012 | In: Interesting, Sports

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These are the highest earning athletes at the Olympic games over the past 12 months according to Forbes

Marc Gasol (Spain)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 27 –

Earnings: $10.9 million

Tyson Chandler (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 29 –

Earnings: $11 million

Andre Iguodala (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 28 –

Earnings: $11.4 million

Manu Ginobili (Argentina)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 35 –

Earnings: $11.5 million

Andy Murray (Great Britain)

Sport: tennis –

Age: 25 –

Earnings: $12 million

Tony Parker (France)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 30 –

Earnings: $13.1 million

Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark)

Sport: tennis –

Age: 22 –

Earnings: $13.7 million

Serena Williams (USA)

Sport: tennis –

Age: 30 –

Earnings: $16.3 million

Pau Gasol (Spain)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 32 –

Earnings: $17.2 million

Deron Williams (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 28 –

Earnings: $18.2 million

Li Na (China)

Sport: tennis –

Age: 30 –

Earnings: $18.4 million

Chris Paul (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 25 –

Earnings: $19.2 million

Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

Sport: tennis –

Age: 28 –

Earnings: $19.8 million

Usain Bolt (Jamaica)

Sport: athletics –

Age: 25 –
Earnings: $20.3 million

Carmelo Anthony (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 28 –

Earnings: $22.9 million

Kevin Durant (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 23 –

Earnings: $25.5 million

Maria Sharapova (Russia)

Sport: tennis –

Age: 25 –

Earnings: $27.1 million

Kobe Bryant (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 33 –
Earnings: $52.3 million

LeBron James (USA)

Sport: basketball –

Age: 27 –
Earnings: $53 million

Roger Federer (Switzerland)

Sport: tennis –

Age: 30 –

Earnings: $54.3 million

Via Forbes

Jim

First

Magical Michael

You win the award! Please expect your "biggest dipshit in the world" trophy in the mail soon!

Wind O. Change

#8…those arms O.O

J..

Scary…

Anon

scary good at the Olympics though

Sade

Wow o.O
http://twitter.com/aguysthought @aguysthought

Worlds most painful hand jobs

Mick

Ok so basically to earn big bucks in the olympics, go with basketball or tennis … Too bad I suck at both

a guy

they dont earn there $ from the olympics you dumbass

Pants Pudding

their, you dumbass
Chiven

Most of the money they earn is from endorsements they receive while playing in the olympics, although the USOC does pay smaller amounts to those who win medals. So technically, Mick's statement is accurate and you're an idiot.

That awkward moment when you take the time out of your day to call someone a dumbass without realizing you're actually the dumbass…

Jeff

Technically, you and Mick are incorrect. This is the estimated total money they earn for a calendar year. Some is from salary for the basketball players, some is from winnings for the tennis players, with most of the remainder being endorsements. None of this includes money from the Olympics because none of them have won any medals yet!

Jake

It's ok, I've played both since I could walk. I'll give you some money when I'm famous
Androaz

Or be the fastest guy on Earth

DollarsforDonuts

Deduct 5 mil per year off of Kobe's winnings for the stuff he has to buy his wife when his penis finds its way into a drunken sorority girl

Nate

He's divorced now..

joker

No, he's not. They are still married and the divorce was called off months ago.

Chiven

NBA gossip update

Daniel_Tosh

Drunken…or roofied?

ladyslovealleyoops

dunked in not drunkin

black mamba!

the black mamba shits 5 mil on drunken sorority girls, and what…

https://www.facebook.com/joakim.lundmark Joakim Lundmark

Where are all the football players? I'm pretty sure at least a couple of them should fit in between the tennis and basketball stars?

Doohickle

This is people at the olympics. last time i checked football wasn't in the olympics. unless you are talking about soccer of course.
Jonathan

i hope when you say football you dont mean american football.

douche

well you don't say rugby football, so you might as well call it soccer like association football does

https://www.facebook.com/joakim.lundmark Joakim Lundmark

Soccer, as a European I tend to forget that football isnt football overseas

DollarsforDonuts

well, thats easy, no one cares about that

http://twitter.com/DrDrai1122 @DrDrai1122

LOL your right. It's only the most popular and most played sport in the world.

rdpre

You know what else is popular? Justin Bieber. Just sayin

somebody

As a European I tend to forget football is played with hands overseas…

DUBU2DEATH

and they dont flop every 5 seconds…
Pants Pudding

It's played with hands in Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia? Those guys and their crazy scams.

whatevs

yes, we call your game Handegg. Because you use your hands and it's not a ball.

Schrodinger's cat

The term "football" came about because it was a game played by peasants ON FOOT. Different from the wealthy aristocrats who played on horseback.

pirate

most of the high earners aren't playing in the olympics because the qualifying rounds mostly took place mid season or took time off for Euro Cup.

https://www.facebook.com/joakim.lundmark Joakim Lundmark

true, but there are a bunch of players(Luis Suarez, Ryan Giggs, Micah Richards etc) that are up in the €4-5 million a year just in salary(no bonuses or other earnings included). Maybe not enough

pirate

These are the highest athletes period right now but you dont start getting into a lot of nfl players for a bit. Should answer some questions.
http://www.therichest.org/sports/forbes-highest-p…

Sick350Z

I'll take my American football over your kickball any day. Full speed hits from a 250 lb Linebacker compared to a 150 pounder trying to pull a foul for being tripped. An hour and a half of jogging with no scores… no thanks.

Josh

That will be true until 2016 when golf is an Olympic sport.
Leonel_LyL

Well since the football squads send their u23's, most of them aren't high earners. If Argentina was in I'm sure Messi would be #1. I'm surprised Neymar or Giovani dos Santos didn't show up on here.

RCT

#8 Chive, you gotta post the video of her crip walking after she won. Hahaha.
DBig

Football or soccer? If you mean American football, sorry, but it's not in the Olympics.

https://www.facebook.com/joakim.lundmark Joakim Lundmark

Soccer(feel dirty using that word for football)

Shockteck

Other than the name these two sports have nothing in common with each other. So lets just stop the debate before it occurs.

https://www.facebook.com/joakim.lundmark Joakim Lundmark

What debate? Lol, in English, spoken in Europe the name for Soccer is Football, hence me forgetting that you use it for American Football. No debate necessary.

https://www.facebook.com/codealpha Terry Burke

the debate Shocktech is referring to is when americans (me) say it's not called "american football" it's just football, you call your sport the wrong name. it's called soccer, because everything we do in america is the only way of doing it.
if i gave anymore fuc@s about this topic and how pointless it is, i would be steeling fuc#s from other people and that is just not cool

Marsmayn

Football/soccer was invented long before your sissy game and is the biggest sport worldwide, but it is must be difficult to see when you have your head up your ass. No wonder why the rest of the world thinks you are douchebags, with exceptions of course

Take it easy

Relax mars, the guy was just kidding
http://twitter.com/JohnMcFadin @JohnMcFadin

It's funny you call American Football a sissy game, when all I ever see in European Football are guys faking getting hit, and falling down for no reason.

MAC

"Soccer" comes from England. Not trying to start fights either, but the name Football was, at one point in time, also used for Rugby. We based our American Football off of Rugby and change a lot of the rules. When both sports hit in the U.S.A. we (for some reason) preferred the Rugby version, and at the time people in England were calling Football, Soccer. That is why we here in the U.S.A. call Football, Soccer. We call it soccer because of England. Soccer came from Association Football. In England the word 'Association' was shortened to just 'Assoccer' then just 'Soccer' Not sure why or how, but not entirely Americans faults for calling it soccer. Although I understand your frustration with our calling it Soccer, instead of Football. Have a nice day to all of you.

thetruth

its football because more points are scored than in soccer using your feet. Field goals are the reason why the Association Football figured this makes more sense. Also that more gets done with feet as a result of this in American football. and all the soccer players were offended when they were called Assoccers, so they had to change the name even though then they admitted they could live with soccer players verses ass soccer players. They get very butthurt about it

MAC

"Soccer" comes from England. Not trying to start fights either, but the name Football was, at one point in time, also used for Rugby. We based our American Football off of Rugby and changed a lot of the rules. When both sports hit in the U.S.A. we (for some reason) preferred the Rugby version, and at the time people in England were calling Football, Soccer. That is why we here in the U.S.A. call Football, Soccer. We call it soccer because of England. Soccer came from Association Football. In England the word 'Association' was shortened to just 'Assoccer' then just 'Soccer' Not sure why or how, but not entirely Americans faults for calling it soccer. Although I understand your frustration with our calling it Soccer, instead of Football. Have a nice day.

AnyoneForCoffee

…………wow.

AnyoneForCoffee

And rightly so.

The qualifiers alone would last longer than the Games.

(Plus, obviously, 95% of the planet doesn't really give a **** about American 'Football'.)

The_Dood

Which is funny, because 95% of Americans don't really give a shit* about "soccer".

Melo

Not true.

7 year old kids and butchy girls care about Soccer.

Then the 7 year olds grow and play football.
AnyoneForCoffee

Would anyone notice if you did?

Embarrassed2chive

Same pictures/ same info. You ripped this of Izismiledotcom from two days ago. I'm starting to see how you built this empire.

Pants Pudding

So hang out there instead of here. Problem solved. Bye.
http://www.facebook.com/Shaffer1911 Josh Shaffer

It says at the top all the info came from forbes so that website took it from forbes too.
bubba357

The Chive is 'a collection of pictures from other websites as well as user submitted photos'

The point of the chive is you can find all the good pictures from around the 'net on one site, plus some real hot chivette pics, plus an awesome group of people who actually like the site.

The_Dood

Plus douchebags that like to call out where they saw the pictures first.
And wrap it all up with our own resident troll Paula_ and you've got yourself a pretty enjoyable little website…

HatBomb

Paula really is a nice little touch, every nice town needs that troll under the bridge to laugh at.

JinGJ

Go cry in your pillow Embarrassed.

http://twitter.com/RickvdS @RickvdS

I guess you need to play tennis or basketball for the big money. I think Usain is here too because of the promotional campaigns and other ads he's been in

'Merica

No shit.. Thanks tips.

Sarge

#8 As a guy, I believe this is the first time I've ever said this: I wish I had arms like her

Jake

I say the same thing, but with Carmelita Jeter; her arms are awesome.

MAC

Anyone else see a pattern? I want to know about the Footballers. No not American Football, but real Football.

DollarsforDonuts

Yeah, if you go down the hall, the exit is on your right. If you get to the stairs, you have gone to far and entered the zone of no one gives a shit! Sorry, Shite

AJC

Footballers are all u/21 so probably not quite on the list … yet

JJ8

U/23*

Tim

You mean Soccer right?
Sick350Z

Football requires men. What you call football is a gaggle of fairies running in circles. My football encourages hits. your little game gives cards for tripping. soccer sucks!!

DollarsforDonuts

All you asking about "footballers" aka soccer players: If you go down the hall, the exit is on your right. If you get to the stairs, you have gone to far and entered the zone of no-one-gives-a-shit! Sorry, Shite

http://www.facebook.com/luke.talbot Luke Talbot

Yeah, you said that already… no one found it funny the first time either.
http://www.facebook.com/luke.talbot Luke Talbot

any don't worry, we say 'shit' as well. 'shite' is different. A bit like Football and American Football (aka Rugby for pussies)

Chris Dewitt

Soccer: where a bunch of scrawny guys run up and down a field for 90 minutes and 4 points are scored in the average game… boooooooooring. Also, soccer players are the biggest pussies in the world. "Ref, he slid and tripped me! WAAAAHHHHH!! I want a free goal kick!" I would LOVE to see any soccer player step onto a field, get laid out by someone like Ray Lewis and get back up to continue playing the way football players do. Go and enjoy your Soccer, football is a MUCH tougher and more enjoyable sport.

johnny

So you find a bunch of guys running around in tights, touching all over each other, wrestling to the ground a much more tougher sport? Literally takes the brains of a 5 year old to play that game. Nothing against people who enjoy american football, but soccer is a lot more complicated than that.

Teddy Backgammon

It's called football, not soccer. Thanks for representing us wrongly/ America may have gotten over it and accepted it as soccer, but we have not.

The_Dood

Like the guy up yonder said, the Europeans are where we got the name soccer…

Manly man

well if you want to be homophobic, how do you discriminate between such and short shorts, knee socks and tshirts, the equivalent of womans arena volleyball uniforms?
soccer complicated?

More complicated? I would argue there's much more strategy in American football than there is in soccer, sorry. I like soccer, but you are just completely wrong there. That's why people everywhere start playing it when they are 3 years old.

http://www.facebook.com/luke.talbot Luke Talbot

Ah Chris – learn to read I called American Football 'Rugby for Pussies' thereby comparing American Football and Rugby, not American Football and Football.

I know it's complicated, I did mention three sports in the same sentence so you are forgiven. Anyway, go and watch some Rugby and then come back and make a more informed post.

The_Dood

I think the mantra around here is something like Keep Calm…? Sound familiar? Get that fucking elitist attitude outta here.
Ryan Giggs

Luke, I can say with complete certainty that you are a complete fucking idiot. Congrats!

Jesse

Surprised Phelps isn't on this list. I see him in almost every commercial.

Meowmix

They didn't include him because he doesn't quite make these people's yearly earnings since he only garners the big attention every 4 years. They probably compiled this list based on 2011 salaries. Overall, he is worth over $40 million though

http://www.facebook.com/luke.talbot Luke Talbot

Too bad surfing the net isn't an olympic sport… I get the Gold at that…

Magical Michael

You're also miraculous at making shitty posts, so keep it up!

http://www.facebook.com/luke.talbot Luke Talbot

Hahahaahah! Hahahahaaaaaaaaa! Haha!

Sorry, you just get me every time!

You truly are magical

Shawn

No soccer/ football players?

JohnnyDingo

Compared to Basketball, football players are paid small wages.

Haha

Lebron Lames sux

Chris Dewitt

How eloquently worded.
Hahasuxatlife

Troll. Go away stop being jealous of more accomplished people than yourself and enjoy the entertainment he provides

Hmmmm

The only entertainment he brings to the table is how much he sucks!

John

He must suck really good then because he's more recognized and makin way more money than you'll ever see.

JohnnyDingo

The only 1 of these 'athletes' that deserves to be at the olympics is
#14
If you are going to have Basketball, Football and tennis they should be made up of non pro players.

Hypno

The whole point of the Olympics is that it's supposed to be Amateurs.

Pants Pudding

Gather round, fans, to see the world's second-best pool of athletes compete for the gold!

No, doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
morebeer

Don't kid yourself, usain bolt is very much a professional athlete

Jake

Basketball in the olympics used to be college athletes, but when the dream team (The Bulls) started winning championships, they were like, "let's make the entire starting Bulls roster represent the USA." (along with David Robinson, Isaiah Thomas, and other non-Bulls)

dood

WTF are you talking about?? Isaiah Thomas was not on the team and there were only 2 bulls players on the Dream Team
R.Pgh

So Pippen & Jordan were the entire Bulls starting roster?

Pants Pudding

Not so, according to that post the starting five also included Magic, Bird, and Patrick Ewing.

ron

No. Here's the problem with that. In the "old days", for example… Russia did not have a professional hockey league. Yet, they were not "amateurs". They were paid by the Russian government to be damn good hockey players, they were amateurs in name only. Their other top athletes as well, all funded by the government. They "made their living" via their sport.
aj182202

He earned 20.3 Million because he ran of athletics. Sure, much of it came from endorsements, but how does that make him an amateur? How does that not make him a professional athlete?
okss

Yeah I'm pretty sure Bolt is considered a professional athlete. Your not going to see him behind the counter at McDonalds anytime soon trying to pay for his training.

Jon

I'm not saying anybody in that list in deserving 50mil but if anybody on that list is its kobe bryant. hes been selling out Staples center and just about every other arena in the NBA just with his name for the last 6-8 years. Lebron might have the athletic edge right now but Kobe in his athletic prime is still miles ahead of Lebron. Kobe in his prime was an absolute beast, he was unstoppable

Pants Pudding

Go check their stats. http://www.basketball-reference.com/
joker

No one asked and no one cares, Jon. Why is is that any time Kobe and Lebron are mentioned together some douche has to start a debate over who is better? They are both great, and both rich beyond belief, so shut the fuck up already.

Pants Pudding

Debates are fun.

At any rate, Kobe makes less because he lost endorsements over the Colorado incident and his image hasn't sufficiently recovered. (Colorado rape trial? Colorado apology deal? Is there an official name for it?) He draws more in salary every year than Lebron, but the NBA's weird salary rules are largely the cause of that.

At any rate, calling anybody in their prime "miles ahead" of Lebron is sheer silliness. Ahead of Lebron's prime? Possibly, depending on how much you value the ease with which Kobe scored in his prime.

R.Pgh

No offense but it doesn't really matter who plays for the Lakers, they are going to sell out. Also, Kobe & LeBron play different positions and have a different skills set, so it's hard to compare the two.

better Scorer = Kobe, better all around = LeBron.

I think anyone would be happy with either guy on their team.

0331

To think that Jim Thorpe was disqualified for play one season of baseball. How much did he make?
Bluebottle

I'd like to see firefighters earn that much. You know, those friendly chaps that run in and out of burning buildings saving peoples lives.

Pants Pudding

I come to the internet to ESCAPE reality, thank you very much.
Firefighting Chuck

You know they don't actually do that very much, right? I know a lot of firefighters, and the vast majority of their time involves chilling at their station and watching TV or playing video games or driving out to car wrecks on the off chance there is a fire. They get paid VERY WELL for what they do.

Wisti

very much, but on the occasions we need them, they sure are appreciated by those who are saved…

bubba357

Your fire insurance/taxes would be AWFUL high if each firefighter made 10 mill a year. Just sayin.

Its the fans sitting in the seats that generate the income these people make. Firefighting isnt exactly a spectator sport….

R.Pgh

unless the fire is on the parkway, then everyone stops to be a spectator.

noodle

Ryan Giggs career earnings are over £23 million , Y U no put him on list? ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

Ryan Giggs

Why do you care?
Heh

Career vs. ONE YEAR
JohnnyDingo

aye this is Yearly earnings, Football players are badly paid when compared to Basketball players.

Tony

#14
Basically, about $2.3 million per second for the 100 meter ….
https://www.facebook.com/jr.kfactor Jr KFactor

Neymar (Brazil – Soccer) U$ 15.5
Klyph

If you add both #1 and #9 Gasol's, adds up to $28.1 Mil – should be higher on your list.

Chiven

Good one

Matthew

that is one expensive basketball team there, US

Dick Bearcat

Lol wonder why we can't get outa debt… Whats that? Trillions in the hole? Nah fuck it I would hate to see Kobe or Labron scrapping the barrel on 50 Mill.

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The 20 highest earning athletes of the 2012 Olympics (20 Photos)

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