Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.
As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.
Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.
Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.
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4 replies on “50 Athletes That Make More Money Than You”
Just to go back to the soccer discussion, look at both lists, other than Becks and Ronaldinho (the best player in the world) the guys like Henry, Ronaldo, etc would be in the mid-20’s with the NBA, NASCAR, golf, NFL, MLB, etc guys.
The money is there, actually overseas, in soccer if you are a star.
Dale, Jr’s numbers are a bit misleading. I know last year’s list didn’t count the money he earned him his own race team, Jr Motorsports. I have a well placed source that is one of the premier marketing guys in NASCAR that said Dale, Jr’s contract with whichever team he decides to go with will guarantee him $30m a year. Probably $7m a year salary, 50% of winnings, and 33% of merchandise.
It is staggering that 74% of the list is comprised of basketball and baseball players (not to mention the two basketball players and the three baseball players in the International 20).
Some other things I noticed:
1) Expect Beckham’s total to skyrocket because of the deal he signed with the Galaxy, along with expected endorsements. He has the potential to shoot up to #1 on the International 20 (and top-five in the world) if he receives full-salary, endorsements, and bonuses, which are estimated to amount to somewhere around $50 million. It is unlikely he’ll gross this much, but there is always the possibility.
2) You’ll also notice LeBron James in #6 on the list, but what you might not notice is that he only brings in a mere $5.8 million in salary. The reason for this? He’s still constricted by his rookie contract. LeBron has already signed a 3-year extension worth about $60 million though. Expect LeBron to be in the top-3 in the very near future – while making a strong push for the #2 spot.
In the end though, apparently it’s Tiger’s world and we’re all just living in it.
It goes to show just how dominate Phil and Tiger are in the golf endorsement market. There seems to be a massive gap between them and the rest, with only Vijay making the International 20. It seems opportuinites are limited for second-tier golfers, such as Jim Furyk and Ernie Els. Considering Furyk made a little over $7 million last year from golf, he would not have got close to the big two in endorsements.
I can see Michelle Wie facing the same career as Anna Kournikova. She is currently the ‘It’ girl, but when the crowds dry up so will the appearance fees. Remember she is still yet to win a tournement.
Agree with Chris in that the golf endorsement market seems to be extremely top heavy, with all contracts and endorsements going to the select few on top. This represents a contrast with basketball, as fringe players who are not superstars, such as Damon Jones and Shane Battier have their own shoe based in China.
I would argue that Wie is different from Kournikova, as Kournikova’s buzz came from her attractive looks, and while Wie is not bad looking it is her age that is the selling factor as well as her driving length and desire to play on the men’s circuit. Her talent far supersedes Kournikova’s so she still has a chance to do something as far as winning tournaments goes.
Lastly, it appears non-nascar motor sports can be quite lucrative overseas.