By Victor Kanayo
Nigerian-British boxer Anthony Joshua has been named among the richest athletes globally in 2024, alongside several other boxing stars and football icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
British heavyweight Tyson Fury is also among six boxers featured in the 2024 Sportico rich list.
According to Talksport.com, Sportico tracked the earnings of the world’s top sports stars from February 12, 2024, to February 12, 2025, to compile its annual ranking.
Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with an astonishing $260 million, while Golden State Warriors’ point guard Steph Curry secured second place with $153.8 million.
Former unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury ranked third, amassing $147 million from his two fights with Oleksandr Usyk, along with endorsements.
Football legends Lionel Messi, LeBron James, and Neymar occupied the fourth to sixth spots, just ahead of Usyk, who landed at seventh place.
Although Fury claimed the bulk of the fight purse, Usyk still walked away with $122 million in earnings and endorsements. His wealth is expected to soar in 2025 after signing a lucrative four-fight deal with Riyadh Season, including a September bout against Terence Crawford.
Joshua was the fourth-highest-earning boxer in 2024 and ranked 30th overall with $60 million. The Watford powerhouse started the year in style, knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in March before suffering a brutal stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois in September.
Further down the rankings, Jake Paul emerged as the fifth-highest-earning boxer at No.52, thanks to his record-breaking Netflix showdown with Mike Tyson in November.
Staged at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the bout generated over $17.8 million in gate revenue, making it the biggest boxing box-office success in U.S. history outside of Las Vegas.
An estimated 108 million people tuned in to watch the crossover clash, with Paul pocketing $38 million from the fight and an additional $10 million in endorsements, bringing his total earnings to $48 million.
Japanese boxing sensation Naoya Inoue rounded up the list at No.81, marking his debut in the Sportico Top 100. Like Canelo Álvarez, he is expected to have an even more lucrative 2025 after signing a multi-fight deal with Riyadh Season.
