Nadal, Alonso and Gasol in sporting rich list

Last week, the business magazine Forbes published its annual ‘rich lists’ stating the world’s richest people according to field of work or country. Among the selection of lists was the 50 highest paid sports stars, in which featured three Spaniards: Rafael Nadal (tennis), Fernando Alonso (Formula 1) and Pau Gasol (Basketball).

Forbes magazine compiled the list according to earnings in the last 12 months, including victory winnings, sponsorships, advertising campaigns, etc. The highest earner was golf player Tiger Woods, who has earned an astonishing 52 million US dollars just in the past year, despite everything he’s lost due to last year’s media scandal.

The Spanish sports stars weren’t quite able to match that but nevertheless boast incredibly high earning. Fernando Alonso was the highest earning Spaniard in the list, at number 11, with 32 million dollars. Just behind at number 12 is Rafael Nadal with 31.5 million dollars and in penultimate position, at number 49 is Pau Gasol, with 18.9 million dollars.

It’s obvious that these world famous sports stars earn a more than comfortable living, but where exactly does all this money come from? In the case of Alonso, he is at the top of a sport that pays very well, particularly given that he is part of the Ferrari team and is twice Formula 1 world champion. Advertising campaigns are also important however and Alonso has been the face of the Fiat 500 TwinAir (ironically an environmentally friendly small car) and the brand Silestone this year. Nadal’s high income is also down to his sponsors and advertising campaigns. He is the face of Kia, Banesto and Mapfire, as well as the major sporting brand Nike, which undoubtedly pays well as it is responsible for making Maria Sharapova, a fellow tennis star with a Nike contract, the only woman in the list of 50. Nadal wouldn’t be out of pocket without these revenues, however, as his winnings alone would set him up for life: his recent victory in the Roland Garros tournament alone has earned him 1.2 million euros. It is thought that his 45 titles sum up to around 40 million dollars in winnings. Pau Gasol’s 18.9 million dollars seem pretty humble in comparison with the others, but this is still an astonishing achievement. Basketball is in fact the highest featured sport in the list; its players are very well paid given its popularity in the US. Gasol also has sponsors from Nike and the watch brand Time Force, after the commercial he made for them with Nadal a couple of years ago.

With all that money, let’s just hope they’re spending it sensibly!