The World's 12 Highest-Paid Athletes

1. Tiger Woods
$75 million
Golf
Age: 35
Woods has failed to win tournaments or sign new sponsorship deals since his November 2009 car crash and the infidelity scandal that followed. Yet he retains two valuable partners, Nike and Electronic Arts, both of which built businesses with Woods as a centerpiece.



2. Kobe Bryant
$53 million
Basketball
Age: 32
Bryant recently signed on as pitchman for Mercedes-Benz's Smart Car brand in China. His $24.8 million salary during the 2010-11 season was $4 million more than any other player.



3. LeBron James
$48 million
Basketball
Age: 26
His jersey was the NBA's bestseller this season, and he has the No. 1 basketball shoe on the market. James received a small stake in Fenway Sports Group-owned soccer club Liverpool in April when he partnered with FSG to manage his business interests.





4. Roger Federer
$47 million
Tennis
Age: 29
Federer commands the most impressive endorsement portfolio in sports, with 10 major deals including Nike, Credit Suisse, Rolex and Wilson.




5. Phil Mickelson
$46.5 million
Golf
Age: 40
Mickelson was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis last year, but he maintains that it will have no long-term effect on his golf career. Lefty inked a deal at the end of the year as a spokesman for Amgen and Pfizer, makers of Enbrel, the drug Mickelson uses to treat his condition.



6. David Beckham
$40 million
Soccer
Age: 36
Beckham will likely be busy over the next year as London gears up to host the 2012 Olympic Games. He served as an ambassador during London's bid process, and in May he signed an agreement with Samsung to become the company's global brand ambassador for the Games. More deals tied to the Olympics are likely to follow.




7. Cristiano Ronaldo
$38 million
Soccer
Age: 26
The Real Madrid star is using social media to expand his brand. Ronaldo has racked up 26 million Facebook fans, twice as many as any other athlete. He also has three million Twitter followers.



8. Alex Rodriguez
$35 million
Baseball
Age: 35
A-Rod was the top unsecured creditor when the Texas Rangers filed for bankruptcy last year. He was owed $24.9 million in deferred compensation from the record-breaking $252 million contract he signed with Texas in 2000.



9. Michael Schumacher
$34 million
Racing
Age: 42
Schumacher's return to Formula 1 racing last year did not go as planned as he finished a disappointing ninth in the overall standings. His earnings are boosted by a strong endorsement portfolio that includes DVAG, Jet Set, Navy Boot, Audemars Piguet, Schuberth and Rosbacher.



10. Lionel Messi
$32.3 million
Soccer
Age: 23
Messi earns $16 million annually on the pitch, and he has recently built up his endorsement portfolio, which now includes Adidas, PepsiCo, Konami, Audemars Piguet, Chery and AirEuropa.




11. Fernando Alonso
$32 million
Racing
Age: 29
Alonso has the highest salary of any F1 driver, and finished second to Sebastian Vettel in last year's championship standings. In May Alonso extended his driving contract with Ferrari through 2016.



12. Rafael Nadal
$31.5 million
Tennis
Age: 24
Nadal became the youngest player in the Open Era to capture the career Grand Slam when he won the US Open in September at age 24. He earned $10.5 million in prize money over the last 12 months.