By Edward Chaykovsky
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao had already crushed the list for the highest paid athletes for the period of May 2014 through May 2015.
Now they blew away the competition on Forbes' 2015 "highest paid celebrities" list, which also covers the period of May 2014 to May 2015.
Their mega-fight from last month at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas generated over half a billion dollars in revenue. Mayweather won a twelve round unanimous decision to unify the WBO/WBA/WBC welterweight championship.
Mayweather topped the list at $300 million, with Pacquiao gaining $160 million for the same period. Number three was singer Katy Perry at $135 million. The only other athlete in the top ten was Cristiano Ronaldo at $79.5 million.
Other athletes who fell on the list within the top 50 included - Lionel Messi at 13 and $74 million, Roger Federer at 16 and $67 million, LeBron James at 18th and $65 million, Kevin Durant at 30 and $52 million, Phil Mickelson at 36 and $52 million, Tiger Woods at 37 and $50.5 million, Kobe Bryant at 39 and $49.5 million, Ben Roethlisberger at 40 and $49 million, Rory McIlroy at 41 and $48.5 million, and Novak Djokovic at 42 and $48 million.
TOP TEN
Floyd Mayweather Jr. - $300 million
Manny Pacquiao - $160 million
Katy Perry - $135 million
One Direction - $130 million
Howard Stern - $95 million
Garth Brooks - $90 million
James Patterson - $89 million
Robert Downey Jr. - $80 million
Taylor Swift - $80 million
Cristiano Ronaldo - $79.5 million