Secondary sources of income are usually just that: Secondary. There’s a reason we have the saying “Don’t quit your day job.”
In some cases, though, the day job hardly pays the bills.
That’s the case for golfers such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, according to Business Insider. The PGA Tour stars make more than 90 percent of their income off endorsements, rather than their winnings. In both cases it’s the extra $60 million or so — on top of $2.3 million in tour earnings for Woods and $4.2 million for Mickelson — that vaults them from plain rich to super rich.
(The setup is similar to NESN.com writers who augment their modest salaries with multimillion dollar endorsement deals for things like mousepads and carpal tunnel pain relief medication.)
The Business Insider list has a few surprises. Peyton Manning makes a relative pittance for being such a presence in commercials. He made “only” $15 million in endorsements with MasterCard, Sony and Reebok, compared with $23 million in salary.
You’d think his agent would demand more money to allow his client to chant, “Cut that meat! Cut that meat!”
NASCAR fans should be unsurprised at who (outside the golfers) takes home the greatest chunk of his money from endorsements.
It’s the Wrangler-wearing, Chevy-driving, AMP-chugging Dale Earnhardt Jr. He’s ranked eighth in the Sprint Cup standings and has fewer career wins than Kyle Busch (despite being a decade older), but Junior still rakes in $22 million, compared with $4.5 million from the series.
In other words, 83 percent of Junior’s income comes regardless of performance. That’s expensive mediocrity.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
“I got a check from Rolex that was THIS BIG.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I just hope I live long enough to welcome him into the 4,000 hit club someday.”
–Pete Rose, MLB’s career leader with 4,256 hits, on Derek Jeter reaching the 3,000 hit plateau.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Not to mention that any pitcher who can hit a batter’s hands on purpose has the greatest command in the history of the game.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Jordan Pacheco is strong.
