Richest athletes under 30

Sports

Richest athletes under 30

Forbes has released its list of the best-paid celebrities under 30, and it should come as no surprise that nine of them are athletes. They include LeBron James, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo made $38 million. At age 26, he has used the power of social media to expand his reach, with 25 million Facebook fans and 3 million Twitter followers.

Forbes has released its list of the best-paid celebrities under 30, and it should come as no surprise that nine of them are athletes. At 26, the Heat's LeBron James pulled in $48 million the past year despite taking a paycut to go to Miami. He has the top selling jersey in the NBA as well as the No. 1 basketball shoe, but he still doesn't have a championship ring.

Rafael Nadal became the youngest player in the Open Era to capture the career Grand Slam when he won the U.S. Open in September at age 24. He has earned $10.5 million on the court and $19.5 million more from endorsement deals with Nike, Bacardi and others in the past 12 months.

Atlanta native Dwight Howard is one of the rare big men who draw interest from advertisers wanting the Magic center to schill their products. The 25-year-old makes $28 million, with $10 million of that coming from companies such as McDonald's, Electonic Arts and AirTran.

Carmelo Anthony doesn't have the same endorsement success as some of his NBA peers, but the 27-year-old Knicks forward earns big on the court. He brought home $25 million the past year, and that should increase. He and wife Lala are slated to do a reality series for VH1.

His tennis prowess as well as an impressive endorsement portfolio that includes Nike and Rolex has helped 29-year-old Roger Federer to a $47 million salary.

Lionel Messi already has established himself as the world's greatest soccer player at the ripe old age of 23. He has been voted player of the year the past two seasons and has been rewarded with a $16 million salary. An endorsement portfolio that includes deals with Adidas, Pepsi and Dolce & Gabbana brings his earnings to $32 million.

Dwyane Wade, 29, agreed to a salary cut to accomodate the addition of LeBron Wade and Chris Bosh to the Heat's roster. He made $14.2 million during the 2010-11 season, and deals with Nike, Gatorade and others pushed the total to $26 million.

Maria Sharapova, 24, remains the top-earning female athlete in the world, pulling in $24 million. Her deal with Nike has been most lucrative, with her receiving royalities on her apparel line and on her Cole Haan ballet flat.

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Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo made $38 million. At age 26, he has used the power of social media to expand his reach, with 25 million Facebook fans and 3 million Twitter followers.

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