Forbes Magazine released its list of highest-earning athletes for 2012 and some of them have Caribbean roots, namely #24 Lewis Hamilton, #44 Carmelo Anthony, #63 Usain Bolt and #Tim Duncan.
Here is what Forbes had to say about each of them (please note my comments are in italics):
#24 Lewis Hamilton
Total earnings: $28 million
Salary/winnings: $25 million
Endorsements: $3 million
Hamilton is a free agent after the 2012 F1 season. He is expected to have many suitors as Hamilton is one of F1’s most talented and marketable drivers. His current team, McLaren, controls almost all of the sponsorship rights to Hamilton, but he was able to ink a lucrative deal with Reebok in 2008 to be a global ambassador for the brand. It is his only personal endorsement deal.
Louis’ paternal grandparents are Grenadian.
#44 Carmelo Anthony
Total earnings: $22.9 million
Salary/winnings: $14.9 million
Endorsements: $8 million
Anthony forced a trade in 2011 to the New York Knicks from the Denver Nuggets and received a three-year contract worth $61 million. The deal includes a player option in year four worth $24 million. He makes about $8 million a year from endorsements
Born in New York, Carmelo’s roots are Puerto-Rican.
#63 Usain Bolt
Total earnings: $20.3 million
Salary/winnings: $300,000
Endorsements: $20 million
Bolt is expected to be the biggest star of the 2012 Summer Olympics. He introduced himself to the world at the 2008 Games when he set world records in the 100 and 200 meter finals. Bolt earns little in prize money, but cashes in through endorsements and sponsor bonuses for record race times. His biggest sponsorship deal is with Puma and pays about $9 million annually.
Forbes put a picture of Bolt holding an Irish flag. Wah di rass? No offense to the Irish but I much rather this pic of the born and bred Jamaican in Vogue. (*wipes drool*).
#73 Tim Duncan
Total earnings: $19.1 million
Salary/winnings: $17.1 million
Endorsements: $2 million
The three-time NBA Finals MVP is considered one of the greatest basketball players ever. The 36-year-old’s best days are behind him, but he was still chosen as an All-Star in 2011 for the 13th straight year. The 2011-12 season marked the final year of his two-year, $40 million contract extension he signed with the Spurs in 2007. He makes $2 million a year off the court.
Duncan was born in the US Virgin Island of St. Croix.
The top 50 athletes are listed below. Please go to Forbes for the full list.
#1 Floyd Mayweather
Total earnings: $85 million
#2 Manny Pacquiao
Total earnings: $62 million
#3 Tiger Woods
Total earnings: $59.4 million
#4 LeBron James
Total earnings: $53 million
#5 Roger Federer
Total earnings: $52.7 million
#6 Kobe Bryant
Total earnings: $52.3 million
#7 Phil Mickelson
Total earnings: $47.8 million
#8 David Beckham
Total earnings: $46 million
#9 Cristiano Ronaldo
Total earnings: $42.5 million
#10 Peyton Manning
Total earnings: $42.4 million
#11 Lionel Messi
Total earnings: $39 million
#12 Haloti Ngata
Total earnings: $37.3 million
#13 Larry Fitzgerald
Total earnings: $36.8 million
#14 Ndamukong Suh
Total earnings: $36 million
#15 Charles Johnson
Total earnings: $34.4 million
#16 Rafael Nadal
Total earnings: $33.2 million
#16 Mario Williams
Total earnings: $33.2 million
#18 Alex Rodriguez
Total earnings: $33 million
#19 Fernando Alonso
Total earnings: $32 million
#20 Valentino Rossi
Total earnings: $30 million
#20 Michael Schumacher
Total earnings: $30 million
#22 Darrelle Revis
Total earnings: $28.3 million
#23 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Total earnings: $28.2 million
#24 Wladimir Klitschko
Total earnings: $28 million
#24 Lewis Hamilton
Total earnings: $28 million
#26 Maria Sharapova
Total earnings: $27.9 million
#27 Sam Bradford
Total earnings: $27.8 million
#28 Tom Brady
Total earnings: $27.1 million
#29 Joe Mauer
Total earnings: $27 million
#30 Eli Manning
Total earnings: $26.6 million
#31 Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Total earnings: $26.5 million
#31 LaMarr Woodley
Total earnings: $26.5 million
#33 Dwight Howard
Total earnings: $25.6 million
#34 Kevin Durant
Total earnings: $25.5 million
#35 Dwyane Wade
Total earnings: $24.7 million
#36 Derek Jeter
Total earnings: $24.5 million
#37 Wayne Rooney
Total earnings: $24.3 million
#38 Mark Sanchez
Total earnings: $24.2 million
#39 Ichiro Suzuki
Total earnings: $24 million
#40 CC Sabathia
Total earnings: $23.8 million
#40 Johan Santana
Total earnings: $23.8 million
#42 Total earnings: $23.6 million
Salary/winnings: $13.6 million
#43 Ben Roethlisberger
Total earnings: $23.3 million
#44 Carmelo Anthony
Total earnings: $22.9 million
#45 Mark Teixeira
Total earnings: $22.8 million
#46 Amar’e Stoudemire
Total earnings: $22.7 million
#47 Tony Stewart
Total earnings: $22.3 million
#48 Luke Donald
Total earnings: $22.2 million
#49 Vernon Wells
Total earnings: $22.1 million
#50 Michael Vick
Total earnings: $22 million
