Salary/Winnings: $4m Endorsements: $27m Among all the footballers, basketball players, and NFL stars on this list, you probably weren't expecting to find a cricketer. But then, M.S. Dhoni is much more than that, especially in his home country India, where cricketers are the A-list elite. While success on the pitch has brought financial reward in itself, it's helped him to reach true celebrity status and become a hugely marketable star, with his endorsements - of which he has around 20, mostly based in Asia - far outweighing his earnings from playing cricket. If that's not enough, 2016 will see the release of a film about his life - Dhoni: The Untold Story - which will surely help cement his place on this list for at least another year.