You Earn How Much? — Unrealistic Money People Earn
Fancy a pay rise — Change professions!
Last month, I read an article where the world’s number one female tennis player, Iga Swiatwek, complained about their demanding schedule, saying,
“I’ve been kind of an advocate in saying that we shouldn’t… I don’t know… be pushing and pushing for us to play more.”
Hello — It’s your job!
By the way, you get paid very handsomely for it. As of August 2024, she had earned $31.5 million in prize money alone.
It made me think that there is something fundamentally and ethically wrong with the world when people are getting paid huge salaries for a job they love and are still unhappy.
If it’s too hot in the kitchen, get out and cook somewhere else!
I was then intrigued to see how much the top athletes, singers, business CEOs, and politicians get paid.
I was disgusted!
Being a top athlete is such a drag!
Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer player now with Al Nassr, is the highest-paid sportsman. He earned an estimated $260 million over the last 12 months, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world for the fourth time in his career.
Ronaldo earned another $60 million off the field from an endorsement portfolio that includes Nike, Binance and Herbalife, among others.
The world’s 50 highest-paid athletes collected an estimated $3.88 billion over the last 12 months, up 13% from last year’s record mark of $3.44 billion.
According to reports, most (78%) of this money comes from on-field payments, the other 24% from endorsements, appearances, licensing and memorabilia income, and other business endeavors, for which they do very little.
The top five athletes make over 100 million, and the top 50 over $45 million.
You probably say yes, but they must train, watch their diet, travel, and work on the weekends.
So what?
It is hardly as if they rough it. Train drivers, the humble shop assistant, or any job you care to name has to be trained and undergo continuous education, and many of them work on the weekends.
My next category is entertainers. These days, you have to pay hundreds of dollars to see your favorite artist. Yes, I know it costs a lot to put on extravagant stage shows, but let me tell you, they are not hurting one little bit.
The top-paid artist in 2024 was Jay-Z (whoever he is!) with a net worth of $2.5 billion. Rihanna. As of September 2024, her net worth is estimated to be $1.4 billion.
That is right, it is not a typo; that is a $billion for singing!
Second in line is Rihanna. Her net worth is estimated to be $2.08 billion. Then comes Sir Paul McCartney, whose net worth is estimated to be $1.9 billion. followed by is my favorite of all time, Taylor Swift.
At the tender age of 34, who has earned $900 million from touring and royalties.
She is estimated to earn $190 million /year.
Her current boyfriend, Travis Kelce, signed a four-year, $57.25 million extension in 2020 with the NFL team, the Kansa City Chiefs, which pays him an annual average value of $14.3 million. Together, they make over $200 million a year.
I love a good live show, but something is wrong when people are starving and working two or three jobs to keep their families alive.
CEOs And their modest salaries
We may wrongly assume that the top CEOs are in the same league.
They are not starving by any stretch of the imagination but are far behind athletes and entertainers.
The CEO’s median total compensation in the US is $29.1 million. The top CEO, Jon Winkelried of TPG Inc., collected just under $200 million in 2023. Founded in 1992, TPG is “a leading global alternative asset manager with $224 billion in assets under management.
Second and not far off is Harvey M. Schwartz, the CEO of another major financial sector player, Carlyle Group Inc., who collected $187 million in 2023.
CEOs are paid, on average, 200 times more than their average employees, whose salaries fall further behind every year.
The sad part is that when they send their companies into bankruptcy or financial disrepute, they bail out, usually with an equally attractive parachute, leaving the other employees without a job.
Not bad a lurk for failing!
Poor Politicians
You would think that if a CEO of a company gets $200 million a year, the president of the United States or any other country, for that matter, should get at least if not more than that.
Wrong!
The American president earns $400,000 annually. Granted, they have a very elaborate pension package, but we are talking hundreds of thousands compared to millions for sportspeople and entertainers.
As of August 2024, (allowing for currency conversion rates), this was less than what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was making but more than what the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Canada were making.
Salt of the Earth Jobs
As a final comparison, in this crazy world, people who dedicate their lives to helping and saving others — doctors and nurses — suffer badly.
We all assume that doctors, especially surgeons, are very wealthy. To the everyday person they are, but not to the rich and famous above.
An average doctor’s salary in the US is around $200,000/year. In Australia, it is AU$180,00 (USD$120,500), and in the UK £75,000 (USD98,000).
More specialized surgeons earn $441,000/ year. In Australia, it is AU$220,000 (USD$120,500), and in the UK £90,000 (USD$98,000).
US registered nurses are paid, on average, $81,000 compared to Australia, where the average is $85–90,000 (USD$57–60,000) and the UK £35–40,00 (USD$45–52,000).
There is something ethically wrong with the whole process. I do not care how good or famous someone is; they are not worth $200 million a year, especially when considering that they are doing something they love.
It just doesn’t seem right to me; what about you, what do you think?
Till next time,
Calvin
About the Creator
Calvin London
I write fiction, non-fiction and poetry about all things weird and wonderful, past and present. Life is full of different things to spark your imagination. All you have to do is embrace it - join me on my journey.
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Comments (2)
There will never be a level playing field, athletes at least have to push their bodies, but so do soldiers who make peanuts, the everyday person save their peanuts to pay for the riches of the world, name brand and concerts by name brand artists...we are all to blame in some way for the rich syndrome of the world. So the rich stays rich and dumb us stay poor.
Incredible, Sir! I mean, the way you always put magic in these research articles is crazy. With a spark of 'safe humor' and realism, it becomes more attractive to read. For me, I think you're right. We know these celebrities work hard. Maybe more than we do. But, still, their work shouldn't be worth 3 digits in millions. I mean, what do you do with that much money? Book a flight to heaven? At the end of the day, we all excrete our food the same way. And your point "especially when considering that they are doing something they love." seems so accurate! Also, the first part about that female athlete; I was also thinking like, C'mon girl, you're taking a huge amount, and yet you're feeling 'not-ok' in there? She should just get out of the kitchen. Right before this minute, I had no idea of these guys' net worths. They're eating everything, aren't they? At least, Ronaldo loves what he does 🤭 Loved the article, Sir!