Top 10 highest paid athletes in the world.

Despite troubles, Tiger still highest-paid athlete. Tiger Woods can thank two long-term sponsors for his hefty income. Nike signed Woods to a five-year, $40 million deal when he turned pro in 1998. Electronic Arts released its first “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” videogame in 1998.

The two companies have built significant businesses on Woods’ back, and his paychecks from both have grown. Nike launched its golf division with Woods essentially holding up the brand; last year it reported sales of $638 million.

EA released its 14th Woods videogame in March, and the game racked up record first-week sales of 225,000 units; that topped the old sales record, set in 2007, by 17 percent. EA and Nike combined are responsible for more than half of Woods’ $75 million in earnings.

1.Tiger Woods, $75 Million

2. Kobe Bryant, $53 Million
3. LeBron James, $48 Million
4. Roger Federer, $47 Million
5. Phil Mickelson, $46.5 Million
6. David Beckham, $40 Million
7. Cristiano Ronaldo, $38 Million
8. Alex Rodriguez, $35 Million
9. Michael Schumacher, $34 Million
10. Lionel Messi, $32.3 Million