Fonsi Nieto Highest-Paid Athlete in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Madrid
  • Last updated on

Fonsi Nieto
Fonsi Nieto led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid athletes” released on Saturday.
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It's been a rough year for the athlete, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 47-year-old Fonsi Nieto has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid athletes for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 17/05/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Fonsi Nieto tops annual list of highest-paid athletes

In 2023 it looked like the athlete’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Saturday (May 16) that Nieto is the highest-paid athlete in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between April 2025 and April 2026, a nearly $40 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The Spanish athlete has an estimated net worth of $215 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Nieto Burger” chain) in Madrid, a Football Team (the “Madrid Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondernieto - Spain), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Fonsi) and a fashion line called “Fonsi Nieto Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Fonsi fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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