I just saw an interesting overview of the richest athletes in the world and had to look twice. Michael Jordan leads with $3.6 billion – crazy that his wealth mainly comes from Jordan Brand, not just basketball. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are also at the top with $1.2 billion and $850 million. What surprised me: many of the wealthiest athletes in the world made their money not only through their active careers but also through savvy investments and business ventures afterward. LeBron, Magic Johnson, and The Rock are all around $800 million. Also interesting is that some like David Beckham and Roger Federer became massively wealthy after their active careers through sponsorships and brand deals. The richest athletes in the world often earn more after their careers than during. Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Kevin Durant – the list shows how lucrative it can be to be the right brand. It makes me curious about how this will develop in the coming years.