Highest Paid Athletes in 2011 (FORBES)

Top 10 Richest Athletes In the World 2011

Top 10 Richest Athletes Net Worth, Top 10 Richest Athletes Soures, Top 10 Richest Athletes images, Top 10 Richest Athletes Biography, Top 10 Richest Athletes Age,

There are issues with converting the net worth of various individuals from around the world to a single currency, notably ignoring the buying power and standard of living in a person's native country that could inflate or deflate a person's net worth relative to others upon this list.

1. Tiger Woods

Net: $100 million

Tiger Woods nearly $23 million on the golf course and brought in a whopping $105 million in endorsements giving him a total of $127,902,706 and the No. 1 ranking for the fifth straight year as top richest athlete. He might lost that title this year, rumored after his adultery scandal was spread some sponsors are breaked up with him. Woods has earned almost $900 million in prize money, endorsements and appearance fees during his 13-year professional golf career and next year is poised to become the first athlete to earn $1 billion during a career.

2. Kobe Bryant

Net:  $45 million

Bryant secured his place among the NBA’s all-time greats when he won his fourth NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in June. The Black Mamba’s popularity is at its zenith as his No. 24 jersey is the top seller in the U.S., Europe and China. Bryant pads his $21 million Lakers salary through endorsement deals with Nike, Upper Deck, Activision and VitaminWater

3. Micheal Jordan

Net: $45 million

MJ retired as a player for the third and presumably final time six years ago, but he is still the most famous athlete in the United States. The Jordan Brand is approaching $1 billion in sales for Nike which turned Jordan into a marketing phenomenon. Jordan is on the short list of potential buyers for the Charlotte Bobcats where he is head of basketball operations and a minority owner

4. Kimi Raikkonen

Net: $45 million

Kimi Räikkönen born 17 October 1979 in Espoo, nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racecar driver. After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the 2007 Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he now competes in the World Rally Championship for the ICE 1 Racing team.Formula One’s highest-paid driver finished a disappointing third in the World Championship standings last year after winning the title in 2007.

5. David Beckham

Net: $42 million

David Robert Joseph Beckham, born 2 May 1975 is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C. Milan, as well as the England national team, for whom he holds the all-time appearance record for an outfield player. Becks is far from the best player on the pitch, but he is still the most famous which is why companies like Adidas, Giorgio Armani and Motorola pay him millions for his endorsement.

6. LeBron James

Net: $40 Million

LeBron  James  born December 30, 1984 is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA).The NBA’s MVP led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the league’s best record and had a playoff performance for the ages this year, but his team was bounced from the playoffs by the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals. His free agency next summer has teams maneuvering to get under the salary cap in hopes of signing King James. The Cavs can offer the biggest contract under NBA salary rules, but James might go in search of a bigger market.

7. Manny Pacquiao

Net: $40 million

Manny Pacquiao born December 17, 1978, also known as Manny Pacquiao, is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is an eight-division world champion, the first boxer in history to win ten world titles, the first to win in eight weight divisions, and the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. A little surprise that the biggest earning in boxing sport doesn’t come from the Heavyweight division, and not from U.S boxer too. But Manny Pacquiao is now the best pound per pound boxer, and become the most wanted target by any challenger in the world.

8. Phil Mickelson

Net: $40 million

Philip Mickelson born June 16, 1970 is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. According to estimates by Fortune Magazine, Mickelson's income for 2007 was over $51 million, with $47 million coming from endorsements.Playing second fiddle to Tiger Woods has proven very lucrative for the world’s second-ranked player.  Mickelson has won $54 million in prize money during his career, third all-time behind Woods and Vijay Singh

9. Lionel Messi

Net Worth : $39 million

Lionel Messi born 24 June 1987 is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward or winger. He also holds Spanish citizenship, which makes him eligible as a EU player. This 2009 FIFA World Player only playing for one team for his entire career, Barcelona.

10. Alex Rodriguez

Net Worth : $39 million

Alex Rodriguez born July 27, 1975 is an American Major League Baseball third baseman for the New York Yankees. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, He previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Baseball’s greatest player earned an incredible $29 million on the field this year while bringing in a relatively modest $6 million in endorsements, with a total income of $39 million.