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Rory McIlroy made a serious wedge last year but doesn't top the list of highest-paid athletes

Step forward, Money Mayweather.

BUT IS HE happy?

Rory McIlroy made $48.3m last year, making him the 12th best-paid sports star in the world, according to Forbes.  The majority of that eye-watering figure — some $32m — came from sponsorship deals, they say.

Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao top the annual list of the highest-paid athletes after being involved in the ‘Fight of the Century’ however.

The Las Vegas bout generated more than $500m as the sporting world tuned in to see Mayweather make it 48-0 by a unanimous decision.

And that bumper cash windfall is enough to put the duo well clear in Forbes’ findings. The top 100 athletes on the list, earned a total of $3.2 billion over the past year, a 17 per cent increase over last year’s list.

Mayweather is atop the list at an estimated $300 million in earnings. It’s the second year in a row the undefeated boxer has been at the top spot. They don’t call him ‘Money’ for nothing.

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Here are the top 10, their respective sports and total earnings.

Floyd Mayweather, boxing, $300 million
Manny Pacquiao, boxing, $160 million
Cristiano Ronaldo, football, $79 million
Lionel Messi, football, $73.8 million
Roger Federer, tennis, $67 million
LeBron James, basketball, $64.8 million
Kevin Durant, basketball, $54.1 million
Phil Mickelson, golf, $50.8 million
Tiger Woods, golf, $50.6 million
Kobe Bryant, basketball, $49.5 million

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