Paris is the site for the best athletes around the world for the next two weeks, as the 2024 Olympics are underway. The top runners, swimmers, basketball hoopers, soccer stars, gymnasts and many more sporting figures are competing for the right to win a gold medal.
There is no cash prize to be won at the Olympics. Of course, the medals all hold some sort of monetary value, but the memories associated with the hardware are priceless. In addition, Olympians can use the platform to garner a greater audience, landing potential endorsement deals for the future if they star in their discipline.
That doesn't mean that there aren't athletes with a high net worth at these games. There are plenty of multi-millionaires who are competing at the 2024 Olympics, looking to add a gold medal to their resumes.
LeBron James is the highest-paid American who will be in France, but he isn't the highest-paid athlete. The Lakers star has made quite a pretty penny during his lengthy NBA career and is aiming to add a third gold medal to his list of accolades with Team USA . He also will be the male flag bearer for the United States at the Opening Ceremony.
If it's not James, then who is the highest-paid athlete in Paris? The Sporting News has the answer.
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Highest-paid Olympic athletes in Paris
James may be the highest-paid American at the 2024 Olympics, but he is not No. 1 out of all of the countries. That honor belongs to Spanish golfer Jon Rahm.
The two-time major champion signed a massive contract with LIV Golf this past winter. The exact details of the deal between Rahm and the Saudi-backed golf league are not known, however, there are reports that he signed for a number over $300 million .
Rahm is one of five golfers who find themselves in the top 20 of highest-paid Olympians for 2024.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that a majority of the highest-paid athletes in Paris are basketball players. Out of the top 20, 13 play in the NBA, including the rest of the top five outside of Rahm. James is No. 2 while the Warriors' Stephen Curry is No. 3, the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo is No. 4 and the Suns' Kevin Durant is No. 5.
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Tennis stars make up the other two spots in the top 20. Spain's Carlos Alcaraz is No. 13 while Serbia's Novak Djokovic is No. 18.
Here is the full list of athletes, according to Sportico :
| Rank | Olympian | Country | Sport | Total $ |
| No. 1 | Jon Rahm | Spain | Golf | $210 million |
| No. 2 | LeBron James | USA | Basketball | $127.7 million |
| No. 3 | Stephen Curry | USA | Basketball | $101.9 million |
| No. 4 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Greece | Basketball | $100.8 million |
| No. 5 | Kevin Durant | USA | Basketball | $89.7 million |
| No. 6 | Rory McIlroy | Ireland | Golf | $77.9 million |
| No. 7 | Scottie Scheffler | USA | Golf | $62.6 million |
| No. 8 | Joel Embiid | USA | Basketball | $57.7 million |
| No. 9 | Nikola Jokic | Serbia | Basketball | $54.7 million |
| No. 10 | Devin Booker | USA | Basketball | $48.1 million |
| No. 11 | Anthony Davis | USA | Basketball | $46.7 million |
| No. 12 | Viktor Hovland | Norway | Golf | $45.9 million |
| No. 13 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | Tennis | $45 million |
| No. 14 | Jayson Tatum | USA | Basketball | $43.5 million |
| No. 15 | Rudy Gobert | France | Basketball | $42.7 million |
| No. 16 | Jamal Murray | Canada | Basketball | $42.4 million |
| No. 17 | Jrue Holiday | USA | Basketball | $41.4 million |
| No. 18 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | Tennis | $38.7 million |
| No. 19 | Xander Schauffele | USA | Golf | $36.2 million |
| No. 20 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Canada | Basketball | $36 million |
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