Max Verstappen ranks third in Forbes’ list of highest paid athletes aged below 25 years
24-year-old Max Verstappen is now a household name in the sporting world. The F1 racer won his first-ever championship last year, beating Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finale. Verstappen has now added another feather to his cap – he is one of the richest athletes in the world (under 25) according to Forbes’ latest list.
The Dutch racer had total earnings of $48 million in the last financial year – $46 million in on-field earnings including prize money and contract wages from Red Bull and $2 million in off-the-track earnings which include sponsorships and endorsements. NFL star, Josh Allen; tennis icon, Naomi Osaka; football prodigy, Kylian Mbappe, and cornerback Marshon Lattimore are the athletes who make the top 5 of Forbes’ richest athletes (under 25) list.
Max Verstappen extended his contract with Red Bull at the start of this season. Verstappen joined Red Bull in 2016. His previous contract ran till 2023 it has now been extended till ’28. The new contract will see Verstappen earn US$ 53.3 million a year making him the joint highest-paid F1 driver on par with Lewis Hamilton. The defending champion is the hottest property in F1 right now, with both age and performance on his side. No wonder, he is one of the richest U-25 athletes in the world!
Besides featuring in the top 5 richest U-25 athletes list, Verstappen also made the cut in Forbes’ highest-paid top 50 athletes in the world. Out of the 50 athletes that cut, just two are from the world of motorsport, namely Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. While Verstappen is 26th, Lewis Hamilton lies ahead of him in the 17th spot.
The Brit and current Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team driver collected a cool USD65 million (RM286.3 million), with USD57 million (RM251 million) coming from on-the-field earnings, while the remaining USD8 million (RM35.2 million) came through off-the-field earnings.
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