FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. tops SI’s Fortunate 50 list for the third consecutive year, and the boxer “does it all without any endorsements,” according to Daniel Roberts of SI. TIGER WOODS and PHIL MICKELSON have off-the-course endorsements that “keep them high on this list; thanks to fat signing bonuses on new contracts.” Two athletes who “aren’t even playing this season (but have not retired)” -- NBAer GILBERT ARENAS and MLBer VERNON WELLS -- “made the list due to deferred money.” Among those who dropped off the list are Yankees SS DEREK JETER and suspended 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ. SI’s findings “consist solely of (pre-tax) salary, winnings, bonuses and paid endorsements (additional earnings athletes get from speaking engagements and their own side businesses are not reflected).” For auto racing and tennis, prize money comes from the '13 calendar year. Golf tournament winnings are from May 5, 2013 through April 20, 2014. Boxing purses are for the '14 calendar year and include projected money from bouts later this year (FORTUNE.com, 6/17)
| SI FORTUNATE 50 LIST |
| RANK | NAME | SALARY/WINNINGS | ENDORSEMENTS | TOTAL |
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | $105,000,000 | $0 | $105,000,000 |
| 2 | LeBron James | $19,067,500 | $38,000,000 | $57,067,500 |
| 3 | Kobe Bryant | $30,453,805 | $20,000,000 | $50,453,805 |
| 4 | Aaron Rodgers | $40,000,000 | $5,800,000 | $45,800,000 |
| 5 | Peyton Manning | $25,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $37,500,000 |
| 6 | Phil Mickelson | $4,221,975 | $33,000,000 | $37,221,975 |
| 7 | Tiger Woods | $4,500,758 | $31,000,000 | $35,500,758 |
| 8 | Tom Brady | $31,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $35,000,000 |
| 9 | Derrick Rose | $17,632,688 | $17,000,000 | $34,632,688 |
| 10 | Matthew Stafford | $31,500,000 | $1,500,000 | $33,000,000 |
| 11 | Joe Flacco | $30,000,000 | $2,200,000 | $32,200,000 |
| 12 | Matt Ryan | $30,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $31,500,000 |
| 13 | Kevin Durant | $17,832,627 | $13,000,000 | $30,832,627 |
| 14 | Dwyane Wade | $18,637,000 | $10,000,000 | $28,637,000 |
| 15 | Zack Greinke | $28,000,000 | $0 | $28,000,000 |
| 16 | Tony Romo | $26,500,000 | $1,250,000 | $27,750,000 |
| 17 | Robinson Cano | $24,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $27,000,000 |
| 18 | Ryan Howard | $25,000,000 | $1,100,000 | $26,100,000 |
| 19 | Calvin Johnson | $25,000,000 | $900,000 | $25,900,000 |
| 20 | Carmelo Anthony | $21,388,954 | $4,500,000 | $25,888,954 |
| 21 | Amar'e Stoudemire | $21,679,893 | $4,000,000 | $25,679,893 |
| 22 | Albert Pujols | $23,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $25,500,000 |
| 23 | Cliff Lee | $25,000,000 | $270,000 | $25,270,000 |
| 24 | Clay Matthews | $22,020,000 | $3,100,000 | $25,120,000 |
| 25 | Prince Fielder | $24,000,000 | $400,000 | $24,400,000 |
| 26 | Joe Mauer | $23,000,000 | $1,300,000 | $24,300,000 |
| 27 | CC Sabathia | $23,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $24,000,000 |
| 28 | Jimmie Johnson | $17,863,547 | $5,900,000 | $23,763,547 |
| 29 | Dwight Howard | $20,513,178 | $3,000,000 | $23,513,178 |
| 30 | Felix Hernandez | $22,857,000 | $600,000 | $23,457,000 |
| 31 | Chris Paul | $18,668,431 | $4,500,000 | $23,168,431 |
| 32 | Dirk Nowitzki | $22,721,381 | $400,000 | $23,121,381 |
| 33 | Gilbert Arenas | $23,000,000 | $20,000 | $23,020,000 |
| 34 | Blake Griffin | $16,441,500 | $6,500,000 | $22,941,500 |
| 35 | Cole Hamels | $22,500,000 | $350,000 | $22,850,000 |
| 36 | Miguel Cabrera | $22,000,000 | $800,000 | $22,800,000 |
| 37 | Mark Teixeira | $22,500,000 | $220,000 | $22,720,000 |
| 38 | Clayton Kershaw | $22,000,000 | $700,000 | $22,700,000 |
| 39 | Serena Williams | $12,385,572 | $10,000,000 | $22,385,572 |
| 40 | Joe Johnson | $21,466,718 | $900,000 | $22,366,718 |
| 41 | Masahiro Tanaka | $22,000,000 | $0 | $22,000,000 |
| 42 | Adrian Gonzalez | $21,000,000 | $425,000 | $21,425,000 |
| 43 | Matt Kemp | $21,000,000 | $400,000 | $21,400,000 |
| 44 | Pau Gasol | $19,285,850 | $2,100,000 | $21,385,850 |
| 45 | Jacoby Ellsbury | $21,142,857 | $70,000 | $21,212,857 |
| 46 | Chris Bosh | $19,067,500 | $2,000,000 | $21,067,500 |
| 47 | Vernon Wells | $21,000,000 | $0 | $21,000,000 |
| 48 | Justin Verlander | $20,000,000 | $700,000 | $20,700,000 |
| 49 | Eli Manning | $13,500,000 | $7,000,000 | $20,500,000 |
| 50 | Carl Crawford | $20,250,000 | $120,000 | $20,370,000 |
| | | | | |
MONEY TEAM: ESPN’s Mike Greenberg said Mayweather being first on the list “for some reason continues to crack me up.” ESPN’s Mike Golic added Mayweather’s top-billing “is amazing because zero dollars of that are endorsements. You look at everybody else and their endorsements far outweigh their earnings” (
“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 6/18).
