Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the tenth highest-paid athlete in the world at $34 million a year, according to the annual Forbes list of highest-paid athletes. The magazine reports:

"Earnhardt was chosen as Nascar's most popular driver for a sixth straight year in 2008 despite winning only one race during the past two seasons. His merchandise sales were twice the total of any other driver. Earnhardt's biggest personal sponsorship deals are with Adidas, Chevrolet, Polaris, Wrangler and Nationwide Insurance, which he added this year."

Tiger Woods is No. 1 at $110 million per year. Formula One's highest-paid driver, Kimi Raikkonen, tied for second ($45 million) with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. At $30 million a year, Jeff Gordon ranked 17th. According to Forbes:

"Gordon won the Samsung 500 in April breaking a 47-race winless streak, the longest in the career of the four-time Cup champion. He currently sits second in the Sprint Cup Series standings after finishing a disappointing 10th last year. Gordon is a co-owner of the No. 48 car driven by Jimmie Johnson who has won three straight Cup titles."

 

The world's highest-paid athletes (Forbes)