Wow, I looked at the list of the richest athletes in the world and their neighbors in the ranking – just shocking! Michael Jordan in first place with $3.6 billion, he's not just a basketball legend but a businessman with a capital B. His income from Nike and team ownership is a whole different level.

Interestingly, not only Americans are at the top. Cristiano Ronaldo with $1.2 billion shows that football also brings in serious money. Lionel Messi, Neymar, David Beckham – all of them are on the list. Although, honestly, Vince McMahon with $3.2 billion surprised me; he's the owner of WWE, not a traditional athlete.

LeBron James, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods – all of them earned not only from sports but also from endorsements and investments. Federer has $750 million, even after retiring. It turns out that the world's richest athlete is not only about sports achievements but also about the ability to monetize their brand. By the way, interestingly, Serena Williams and Tom Brady are also on the list with $300 million each – women and men on equal footing there.