Salary/Winnings: $36m Endorsements: $3m Sure, Lewis Hamilton may be one of the highest paid athletes of 2015, but he could find himself even higher on the list by the end of this year. The British racing driver signed a deal with Mercedes in May, one which could pay out more than $140m this season. Don't be surprised to see Lewis near the very top of this list next year, as his contract also enables him to seek out more personal endorsement deals - which should sit nicely alongside his current contracts with Bombardier and IWC. He's also a strong favourite to win his fourth F1 Drivers' Championship; things could certainly be going worse for the 31 year old!