Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Highest-Paid Basketball player in the World

It's been a rough year for the basketball player, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 78-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid basketball players for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 22/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tops annual list of highest-paid basketball players

In 2023 it looked like the basketball player’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Saturday (March 21) that Abdul-Jabbar is the highest-paid basketball player in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between February 2025 and February 2026, a nearly $20 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 American basketball player has an estimated net worth of $145 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 Abdul-Jabbar Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “New York Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderabdul-Jabbar - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Kareem) and a fashion line called “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Seduction”.

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

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