Categories
Contract Negotiation Endorsements Headline

Breaking Down Sports Illustrated’s Fortunate 50

Every year, Sports Illustrated publishes its Fortunate 50, which highlights the top earning athletes in the United States (SI separately produces the International 20).  This year’s Fortunate 50 is led by Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who took in $85 million from two fights and zero endorsements.  The phrase “boxing is dead” clearly does not apply in Mayweather’s case (prize money is fueled by spectator interest).

There are a total of 13 basketball players, 11 football players, and 19 baseball players in the Fortunate 50 (comprising 86% of the list).  It should not be surprising that baseball players dominate the list; their salaries are guaranteed and there is no salary cap in Major League Baseball (as opposed to the NFL’s hard cap and the NBA’s soft cap).  However, the bulk of baseball players’ money comes from their salaries and not from endorsements, Derek Jeter being the exception, who earns almost as much money from endorsements as he does from the New York Yankees.  Compare that to Adrian Gonzalez (#25 on the list), who earned $21,857,142 from his salary with the Boston Red Sox and only $500,000 in estimated endorsement money.

What should be surprising are the names that correspond to numbers 17 and 42 on the Fortunate 50.  Number 17 is Vernon Wells, who receives the second largest MLB salary (behind Alex Rodriguez) at $24,187,500.  Number 42 is one of the newest members of the Miami Heat – Rashard Lewis – who had a salary of $17,015,000.  Lewis is represented by basketball agent Tony Dutt.  Wells is represented by Greg Genske of The Legacy Agency.

By Darren Heitner

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.