Floyd Mayweather made a career of playing the heel and flaunting his riches through his lavish spending, six-figure gambling tickets and blockbuster paydays in the ring. It has been a lucrative route for Mayweather, who traded his “Pretty Boy” moniker for his current “Money” nickname a decade ago.
Another massive purse awits the five-division world champion in August for his boxing match versus UFC star Conor McGregor. If Mayweather can secure a similar payday to his 2015 Manny Pacquiao bout, it will push his career earnings to $1 billion.
Ten-figures is rarefied air for sports stars. The only athletes to earn $1 billion from their sporting careers are Michael Jordan ($1.5 billion) and Tiger Woods ($1.4 billion), who banked $1 billion-plus from sponsors with Nike the biggest benefactor for both. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Michael Schumacher also make the cut if you adjust for inflation.