Getty/Soccrates Images/Mike Stobe/Icon Sportswire The 10 highest earning athletes in the world took home a combined $941 million each year in wages and sponsorships between June 2018 to June 2019, according to Forbes. Lionel Messi, LeBron James, and Roger Federer are amongst them. See below for the full list, as well as a breakdown of how each superstar earns their money. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 10: Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets netted a cool $65.4 million. Getty/Mike Lawrie Durant, 31, joined the Nets in 2019 after three seasons with the Golden State Warriors.