Where Do Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen Stand in Forbes 2025 Richest Athlete List?

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen once again made their appearance in Forbes' list of the 50 highest paid athletes around the world.

Where Do Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen Stand in Forbes 2025 Richest Athlete List?

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (via TRMotorsports)

Formula 1 is considered to be one of the world’s richest sports. The sport’s value has boomed multiple folds in recent years due to a huge rise of fans, particularly in the US. The drivers racing in the world’s fastest chassis are no longer just elite athletes, but icons who earn astonishing sums of money based on their performances. This year, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen joined Forbes’ list of other uber-rich athletes in the sports industry.

Lewis Hamilton is a quite common name in the Forbes list for the highest-paid athletes, as he is one of the most marketable and successful global athletes. The Briton has made his appearance in the list as early as 2017 and continues to climb the ladder of the mega-rich and elitist. While his position in the list has fluctuated in the past, his name shines in the list a total of six times, including this year.

Max Verstappen is no stranger to finding himself in such lists, as he has also made a couple of appearances in Forbes’ World’s highest-paid athletes list. The Dutchman debuted in the coveted list in 2021 and hasn’t looked back ever since. While Verstappen might be above Lewis Hamilton on track for many years now, the latter hasn’t failed to barely edge out one of his biggest rivals in the Forbes list this year.

Lewis Hamilton occupies the 22nd spot in the 2025 list after being tied with the infamous Boxer Canelo Alvarez as they both earn a staggering total of $80 million in the previous year. As compared to the $69 million earned last year, this is a huge spike in money received from performances alone. Max Verstappen, on the other hand, is just shy of Hamilton in the standings this year after occupying the 24th spot in the 2025 Forbes list. The F1 star who recently embraced fatherhood, earned over $78 million from his performances in the pinnacle of motorsport.

The reigning world champion’s highly successful campaign in the 2023 season helped him earn over $75 million for the following year. However, Max Verstappen topped his preceding earnings by over $3 million this time around, as he also now enjoys the comfort of having a lot of money and splurging it on some impressive purchases. Both Hamilton and Verstappen continue to remain known names amongst the elite athletes and are likely to come up again in the list for many years to come.

The lavish lives of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton might be some of the uber-rich in the sports industry, but when it comes to spending this fortune, they are quite careful and judicious. Hamilton is a great philanthropist who doesn’t think twice before spending his money for a good cause. Although there is no clarity over where the seven-time champion splurges his money, he is likely investing a lot of money in his charity project, Mission 44.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (via Getty)
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (via Getty)

Apart from this, Hamilton is likely investing a lot of his wealth in his non-alcoholic drink brand Almave and finding out ways to make it better. While Max Verstappen might not give all his money away to charity, he doesn’t hesitate to spoil himself a little with his money. The Dutchman recently purchased a multi-million dollar yacht to enjoy some sea time with his family apart from Formula 1.

Apart from this, Verstappen also recently purchased a decked-out private jet, the Falcon 8X, which set him back tens of millions. These purchases are justified, keeping in mind that he has started a little family of his own with his long-time girlfriend Kelly Piquet and needs all the privacy he can get.

Verstappen and Hamilton are two great individuals and deserve all the wealth that they are earning from their Formula 1 performances. The 2025 season has peaked in competition at the forefront as the two drivers bolster their positions in the drivers’ standings. Now, time will tell about how the rest of the season pans out for them as they aim to move up the pecking order of the elite list of athletes in the world.

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