Valentino Rossi 5th highest paid motorsports athlete

Valentino Rossi still may not be winning MotoGP races like he used to do, the fabulous trio of Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are making sure of the that, but he is still one of the top earning motorsports athletes according to Forbes.

According to Forbes’ 2013 list of Top-Earning Drivers in Motorsports, the former 9-time world champion ranks fifth, having earned between June 2012 and June 2013 a total of $22 million, with $12 million coming from salary and winnings and $10 million coming from endorsement deals.

Rossi is the only motorcycle racer on the list comprises Formula 1 and Nascar drivers, like Fernando Alonso, who is the top earner with $30 million and Danica Patrick, 9th with $15 million who is the only woman on Forbes list.

Valentino Rossi also owns his own management and marketing company VR46, that has in its line-up Tony Cairoli Andrea Iannone, Kevin Schwantz and even MotoGP rookie sensation Marc Marquez (we can guess this is the reason that the two get along so famously).

Forbes 2013 List:

1. Fernando Alonso ($30 million)
2. Lewis Hamilton ($27.5 million)
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ($26 million)
4. Jimmie Johnson ($24 million)
5. Valentino Rossi ($22 million)
6. Tony Stewart ($18.5 million)
7. Jeff Gordon ($18.2 million)
8. Sebastian Vettel ($18 million)
9. Danica Patrick ($15 million)
10. Jenson Button ($14 million)

VIA twowheelsblog