How The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes Under 25 Made Their Money

Forbes

Kylian Mbappé is top of the earnings table for the second consecutive year as two new names from the NBA join the ranks.  Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcraig/2024/05/16/worlds-highest-paid-athletes-25-and-under-2024/  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

Transcript

00:00This year, only 5 of the 50 people on Forbes' list of the highest paid athletes is 25 or

00:06younger, collecting a combined $319.5 million over the last 12 months, including $200.5

00:14million from their playing salaries and bonuses.

00:18Reaching that level of earning power at such a young age continues to be a rare accomplishment

00:23as most American sports leagues have a restricted salary scale for players in their first few

00:28years of competing.

00:29However, the upper echelon of athlete pay does appear to be getting younger.

00:34New maximum contract extension rules in the NBA and lucrative signing bonuses in the NFL

00:40have allowed more players to cash in while still in their 20s.

00:44The average age of a top 50 athlete is just over 31 years old this year, with 22 athletes

00:50making the cut under the age of 35.

00:54Here are the top 5 athletes under 25 with major earnings for 2024.

01:00At number 5, Zion Williamson.

01:03After playing just 29 games in the 2022-2023 NBA season, a contract stipulation was triggered

01:10that meant Williamson's five-year $197 million extension would no longer be guaranteed after

01:17the 2024-25 campaign.

01:20This season, he played a career-high 70 games.

01:24With more than 5 million followers on Instagram, Williamson still commands high endorsement

01:29fees from sponsors such as Gatorade, Mountain Dew, and Nike's Jordan brand, which just

01:34released the Zion 3 signature shoe in April.

01:39At number 4, Trey Young.

01:42Thanks to an All-NBA third-team selection during the 2021-22 season, the 25-year-old

01:48Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter qualified for a Supermax extension that will escalate to

01:53nearly $49 million per season by 2026-2027.

01:59Off the court, he launched his own podcast last summer and, in September, bought a small

02:04stake of a Major League Pickleball team to go with his longtime sponsorship deal with

02:08Adidas and Sprite.

02:11At number 3, Luka Doncic.

02:14The Dallas Mavericks' star point guard launched his own production company last year, and

02:19its first project was a short-form documentary series following Doncic's Slovenian national

02:25team during the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

02:28Relative to other MVP-caliber ballers, the 25-year-old's endorsement portfolio is on

02:34the light side.

02:35He represents Nike's Jordan brand, sports-card maker Panini, and the Slovenian tourism board.

02:42He makes most of his money from a Supermax contract extension he signed in 2022, and

02:47should he stay with the Mavs when he becomes eligible for his next extension in 2025, he

02:53could be looking at a five-year deal worth more than $350 million.

03:00At number 2, Erling Haaland.

03:04The dynamic Manchester City striker had a historic first season in the Premier League,

03:09setting the record for the most goals scored in a season as his team won the league title

03:14as well as the FA Cup and the Champions League, the second-ever continental treble.

03:20As one of the new faces of world soccer, the 23-year-old Norwegian was rewarded with a

03:25massive Nike contract, the cover of EA Sports' FC24 video game, and endorsement deals from

03:32Dolce & Gabbana, Prime Hydration, and Beats by Dre brands.

03:38And at number 1, Kylian Mbappé.

03:40In June, Mbappé announced he was joining Real Madrid.

03:45He signed a five-year contract where he'll make $16.3 million a year.

03:51His on-field wages remain the highest in the sport outside of Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi-sized

03:56contract with Al Masseur.

03:58And while PSG fell short in Champions League play, Mbappé won France's domestic League

04:04One title in six of seven seasons since joining the club.

04:08And he has been the league's top scorer for six straight years.

04:11He has also been a fixture on Forbes' Top 50 Highest Paid Athletes list since he debuted

04:16in 2020 as a 21-year-old.

04:19And with endorsements from premium brands such as Nike, Oakley, Hublot, and Dior, he's

04:25likely to stay in the top 10 for years to come.

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