Laura Flessel Highest-Paid Athlete in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
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Laura Flessel
Laura Flessel led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid athletes” released on Sunday.
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It's been a rough year for the athlete, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 54-year-old Laura Flessel has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid athletes for 2026 with an estimated $96 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 02/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Laura Flessel tops annual list of highest-paid athletes

In 2023 it looked like the athlete’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Sunday (February 1) that Flessel is the highest-paid athlete in the world, pulling in an astonishing $96 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $60 million lead over her 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 French athlete has an estimated net worth of $275 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Flessel Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Pointe-à-Pitre Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderflessel - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Laura) and a fashion line called “Laura Flessel Seduction”.

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

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