I wonder who is actually the richest athlete in the world? It turns out, it's not always those we see at the top of the rankings. Michael Jordan leads the list with a net worth of $3.6 billion — that's simply an enormous figure. His income from Nike and other investments far exceeds his earnings from his basketball career.

Next are Vince McMahon with $3.2 billion and Romanian businessman Ion Tiriac with $2.4 billion. But when it comes to athletes we know well, here they are: Cristiano Ronaldo ranks 5th with $1.2 billion, Lionel Messi is 7th with $850 million. Roger Federer, David Beckham, Lewis Hamilton — all are in the range of $450 million to $750 million.

The full top includes 40 names, and there are quite a few surprises. Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Fernando Alonso — all have accumulated impressive fortunes. It turns out, being the wealthiest athlete in the world can be achieved not only through club contracts but also through investments, business ventures, and sponsorship deals. The figures are rounded and estimated, but they give a good idea of the scale of top athletes' earnings. It's interesting to see how different generations of athletes have built such enormous wealth.