Thanks to his contract with LIV Golf League, Spanish golfer Jon Rahm's earnings surpass those of the top 50 highest-earning athletes in the world in 2023, as published by Forbes in May.
Rahm topped Forbes' latest ranking, based on an estimated contract value between him and the LIV Golf League from 2024, with a "50% upfront payment" clause.
Both sides kept the terms and financial benefits for Rahm confidential when announcing the information on December 7th. However, based on private sources, the US media speculated that Rahm would pocket at least $400 million from the deal with the arena owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), while the Telegraph (UK) suggested the figure could be as high as $566 million, including an advance of $302 million.
According to these figures, even with the lowest upfront payment of $200 million, Rahm would have earned more than the top-ranked athlete in the world's 50 highest-earning athletes in 2023, currently held by football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Jon Rahm in the first round of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Stadium, Dubai, UAE, on November 16, 2023. Photo: AFP
Forbes published this list in mid-May 2023, after combining earnings from competition and out-of-field activities since the beginning of May 2022. Based on that, all three in the top three are from football, with Ronaldo ranking first with $136 million, followed by Lionel Messi with $130 million, Kylian Mbappé in third place ($120 million), while the top spot goes to golfer Dustin Johnson ($107 million).
Johnson secured this position after joining the LIV Golf League in its inaugural 2022 season with an estimated contract value of $125 million, also based on a 50% upfront payment. All agreements for playing in the Saudi-funded tournament system do not include prize money from actual performance.
Before moving to the LIV Golf League, both Johnson and Rahm were ranked A on the PGA Tour, as evidenced by their achievements. In the top tier of American golf, Johnson won 24 titles, including the two majors – the US Open and the Masters – while Rahm had nine, but he also won those two prestigious tournaments after Johnson.
In the world professional men's golf rankings, Johnson has accumulated 135 weeks at the top, while Rahm has 52 weeks. Johnson, an American born in 1984, is 10 years older than Rahm.
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