Highest paid athletes by year

I've been considering whether I want to pursue a career as an icon in professional golf, soccer or boxing. After careful deliberation (& consulting ClaudeAi) , it's occurred to me that I'm a 68 year old Jewish guy.

So regretfully, I'm settling for being a hedge fund mogul. Come to think of it, perhaps I'll purchase Manchester United. It's not the same as being on the pitch, but as Mick aptly points out:"

This dataset tracks the financial evolution of sports over 35 years, highlighting the elite individuals who topped the Forbes annual rankings:

Tiger Woods (Golf): Held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 683 total weeks, including a 281-week consecutive streak.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Football): Multiple-time Ballon d’Or winner, widely ranked among the top global players for more than a decade.

Michael Jordan (Basketball): Six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP, considered the league’s top player across several seasons in the 1990s.

Floyd Mayweather (Boxing): Retired undefeated (50–0) and ranked No. 1 pound-for-pound by major boxing organizations across multiple years.

Mike Tyson (Boxing): Undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990, holding the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles simultaneously.

Michael Schumacher (Formula 1): Seven-time World Drivers’ Champion and holder of 91 Grand Prix wins.

Lionel Messi (Football): Record Ballon d’Or winner with sustained top-tier global ranking throughout his career.

Evander Holyfield (Boxing): Four-time world heavyweight champion and unified cruiserweight champion.

Conor McGregor (Mixed Martial Arts): First UFC fighter to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously.

Roger Federer (Tennis): Held the ATP world No. 1 ranking for 310 total weeks, including a 237-week consecutive record.

Dataset