Of course we don’t begrudge what they have achieved in their lives and millions take them home for their efforts. After all, they’ve spent hours honing their art, preparing their bodies to withstand the immense demands of their profession, and most importantly, they have a rare spark that helps them bring moments of joy into the dreary and boring lives of our lives , the lucky fans.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the top sports association earners for 2015, who combined their hard work, skill, marketing skills, and blockbuster persona to bring themselves some big money.

(Note: You can read the full article listing the top hundred earning athletes on the Forbes website.)

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Total Income: $300 million – Salary/Profit: $285 million, Endorsements: $15 million

The “Money Man” took first place in the list of highest-earning athletes in style who broke golfer Tiger Woods’ seven-year record. In 2008, Tiger Woods, who was at the height of his power, had deposited $115 million. With Floyd’s much-hyped and anticipated May 2nd ^bout against Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather broke all previously held records by earning $285 million. The fight itself broke several long-held records for a boxing match. Pay-per-view buy-ins for the fight totaled $4.4 million, total gate earnings were $73 million, and sponsorship earnings were $13 million. The share of earnings for the fight was 60-40 in favor of the American star.

Compared to his earning from profits, the money brought in through endorsements seems quite insignificant. The reason is that Mayweather has never been too excited about the endorsement deals. However, before the May fight, he struck ink deals with Hublot, FanDuel and Burger King.

2. Manny Pacquiao

Total Income: $160 million – Salary/Profit: $148 million, Endorsements: $12 million

Just like he showed up in his fight against Mayweather, he finished in this list – second best. Despite losing to his longtime rival, Pacquiao managed to assert himself as the people’s champion. He was cheered on loudly at the Grand MGM Arena in Las Vegas and his rival, who actually won the fight, was booed by the fans. This could be because Pacquiao was more positive and offensive than his opponent. And in terms of finances, he’s also gotten richer. He took home $125 million for his efforts. His earnings also include $23 million which he used towards his November fight against Chris Algieri.

Pacquiao, the first and only eight-part world champion, is a marketing star in his homeland. Over the past year he has signed endorsement deals with Nike, Foot Locker, Wonderful Pistachios, Nestle’s Butterfinger and a handful of local companies in the Philippines.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

Total Income: $79.6M – Salary/Profit: $52.6M, Endorsements: $27M

The Real MadridStern is arguably the best and most ruthless target scorer in world football right now. The reigning and three-time Ballon d’Or winner has won nearly every single award and team trophy available in club football. The Portuguese goalscorer is the first player to have won four European Golden Shoe Awards. He is also the only player in football history to score 50 or more goals five times in a row in one season. Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer for his national team with 55 goals and is second behind Real Madrid club legend Raul with 313 goals in the list of most goals scored in all club competitions. Real Madrid paid Ronaldo $52.6 million for his immense goalscoring

With his immense popularity on social media, with 105 million Facebook and 37 million Twitter followers, and his Hollywood looks, he has become an ideal footballer for the marketing world. His leading sponsors include Nike, Castrol and Tag Heuer.

4. Lionel Messi

Total Income: $73.8M – Salary/Profit: $51.8M, Endorsements: $22M

According to many football fans and experts, the Argentine magician is the best player in the world. And the form in which he led his side to a historic height difference at Barcelona last season leaves such recognition unquestionable. Operating in a deeper role, he wreaked havoc on almost every side his team faced. The highlight was the one-handed annihilation of German giants Bayern Munich at Camp Nou. In recognition of his excellence, Barcelona last year awarded a new $50m-a-year deal that runs until 2018. This was the 7th contract Messi signed since 2005. The man who has scored the most goals in league competitions,

His main sponsors include Adidas, which has launched a special line of Messi shoes and apparel, as well as Turkish Airlines, who paired him with Kobe Bryant for their advertising campaign. He was recently cast as Iron Man by his sponsor Samsung in the new ad.

5. Roger Federer

Total earnings: $67 million – Salary/Profit: $9 million, Endorsements: $58 million

However, he might not be the same dominant force on the tennis court, Federer remains the best tennis player in the world. He has also bounced back in terms of form, finishing second in tennis last year. According to many observers, Federer is the best tennis player in the history of the game. And when you look at his massive records, including winning 17 Grand Slam singles titles, reaching each Grand Slam final at least five times (an all-time record) and reaching the Wimbledon final nine times, there’s no arguing. At his peak, he appeared in 18 of 19 finals from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships to the 2010 Australian Open. During this phase he signed important contracts with his longstanding sponsors such as Nike, Rolex and Credit Suisse. Last year he extended his long-term contract with Mercedes Benz by another three years.

6. Lebron James

Total Income: $64.8M – Salary/Profit: $20.8M, Endorsements: $44M

The “King James” was ranked by Forbes as one of the most influential athletes in the world throughout his career. One of the most popular athletes in the United States, he has emerged as a modern-day professional basketball player. He is the first and only NBA player to play in five consecutive NBA Finals since the all-conquering Celtics team in the 1960s. He is the only player in the game’s history to accomplish the feat while playing for two different teams. His success and immense popularity with basketball fans had helped James land lucrative deals with several corporate giants. His association with high-paying endorsement deals dates back to 2003, when he signed a seven-year, $90 million deal with Nike, before being drafted by the Cavaliers. Sales of James Signature Nike shoes were $340 million in 2014. James is said to earn more than $20 million from his endorsement deal with Nike, which also includes royalties. His other main sponsors are McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre, Upper Deck, Tencent and Audemars Piguet.

7. Kevin Durant

Total Income: $54.1M – Salary/Profit: $19.1M, Endorsements: $35M

The basketball prodigy, who has won the title four times in his career, was less than ideal for the 2014-15 season due to a series of injuries. He had to miss the first 17 games of the season because of a fracture in his right foot. Just 16 days after returning from injury, he injured his ankle. A few months later, he had to sit out again while undergoing surgery to relieve pain and discomfort in his surgically repaired right foot. In just 27 games, however, he was able to demonstrate his immense talent. And if he can do his best next season, there’s an overwhelming possibility that he’ll land a new contract that’s slightly higher than the contract that expires next season.Oklahoma City Thunder in 2010 was worth $85 million.

In 2014, he signed a 10-year deal with Nike that could be worth up to $300 million including royalties. It is an active athlete’s richest promotional business.

8. Phil Mickelson

Total Income: $50.8M – Salary/Profit: $2.8M, Endorsements: $48M

Phil Mickelson with a career prize of $77 millionThe money is second only to Tiger Woods. In his impressive and distinguished career, Mickelson has won 42 events on the PGA Tour, including five major championships – three Masters titles (2004, 2006, 2010), one PGA Championship (2005) and one Open Championship (2013). He was runner-up at the US Open six times. However, his position in this list is not due to his immense performance on the field, as he raked in just $2.8 million in prize money and fell well short of world leader Rory McIlroy. He consistently makes more than $40 million from his advertising partners Callaway, Barclays, KPMG, Exxon Mobil, Rolex and Amgen.

9. Tiger Woods

Total Income: $50.6 million – Salary/Profit: $600,000, Endorsements: $50 million

In his heyday, Tiger Woods was the first name on this list. In fact, up until this year, he held the record for most moolah to be earned in a single season. In 2008, he had earned a record $115 million. However, due to injuries and personal issues, he has strayed too far from the form that has made him the best golfer in the world. He managed to earn close to $600,000 from his performance on the field. Its position in this list is a testament to its marketing prowess. He managed to fund around $50 million from his endorsement deals, which added MusclePharm and the Indian Hero bikes. He also managed to make considerable money from his golf course design business.

10. Kobe Bryant

Total Income: $49.5M – Salary/Profit: $23.5M, Endorsements: $26M

Kobe Bryant is one of the all-time leading scorers in Lakers franchise history and the youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points, had the highest salary in the NBA for the fifth straight year. In fact, he had taken a $7 million pay cut when he signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension in 2013. Bryant, who has guided his beloved Lakers to five NBA championships, has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons. Due to knee, back and Achilles tendon problems, he has only played 41 games in two seasons. A rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder kept him out of action for nine months, with an expected return early in the 2015–16 season.

His top recommendations include Nike, Lenovo,Hublot and Panini. However, he is moving from purely advertising contracts to companies. He owns more than 10% stake in the up-and-coming sports drink BodyArmor.