Sport: Michael Jordan tops list of richest athletes of all-time

Tiger Woods (L), Michael Jordan (C) and Arnold Palmer (R) make up the top three highest-earning athletes of all time. Photos / Getty, Photosport, Getty

Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan has been unveiled as the highest-earning athlete of all-time, trumping the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Michael Schumacher on the list.

Sportico has revealed what it estimates to be the 25 highest-paid athletes in history, with the list adjusted for inflation.

Sitting atop the list is none other than Jordan, the six-time NBA champion widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time.

According to the report, Jordan accumulated $NZ2.89 billion throughout his stellar career, but that sum was adjusted to $3.69 billion when accounting for inflation.

Incredibly, only about six per cent of this total came from Jordan's playing contract – the remainder is based on endorsements, licensing and memorabilia sales.

Below Jordan is a trio of American golf legends – Tigers Woods ($2.96 billion), Arnold Palmer ($2.11 billion) and Jack Nicklaus ($1.94 billion).

Rounding out the top five is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest-placed non-American on the list. His career earnings sit at approximately $1.75 billion.

LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer make appearances in the top 10, while Australian golfer Greg Norman slots in at No. 15 with career earnings of $1.15 billion.

"With competitive careers that can span 30 years or more, golfers have the longest shelf life of any pro athletes," Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing expert at Pinnacle Advertising, told Sportico.

"Combine that with their global appeal across a broad and high-end fan demographic, and it's no wonder so many rank high among the all-time earners in sports."

There are no women in the top 25. The highest-earning female athlete is American tennis great Serena Williams, who sits just inside the top 40 with $912.1 million.

Top 25 highest earning athletes of all-time (All figures in $US and adjusted for inflation)

1. Michael Jordan: $2.62 billion
2. Tiger Woods: $2.1 billion
3. Arnold Palmer: $1.5 billion
4. Jack Nicklaus: $1.38 billion
5. Cristiano Ronaldo: $1.24 billion
6. Floyd Mayweather: $1.2 billion
7. LeBron James: $1.17 billion
8. Lionel Messi: $1.14 billion
9. Michael Schumacher: $1.13 billion
10. Roger Federer: $1.12 billion
11. Phil Mickelson: $1.08 billion
12. David Beckham: $1.05 billion
13. Kobe Bryant: $930 million
14. Shaquille O'Neal: $870 million
15. Greg Norman: $815 million
16. Mike Tyson: $775 million
17. Alex Rodriguez: $650 million
18. Manny Pacquiao: $630 million
19. Kevin Durant: $625 million
20. Lewis Hamilton: $620 million
21. Neymar: $615 million
22. Jeff Gordon: $595 million
23. Oscar De La Hoya: $580 million
24. Peyton Manning: $570 million
25. Derek Jeter: $555 million