Wealthiest
Photo of Gary Payton

Gary Payton

Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. In 2022, Gary Payton's net worth is estimated to be $70 million dollars.

March 29, 2022

Words by Matthew Taylor

Gary Payton Net Worth

$70 million

Est. Range $54M - $86M

Medium Confidence

Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. He is considered one of the greatest point guards of all time and is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics. He also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. Payton won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006.

You vs. Gary Payton

How long would it take you to earn as much as Gary Payton?

Richest Athletes

The average salary for athletes in the United States is around $49,143 per year. Not however, if you play in the NBA where the average salary is projected to be around $8 million this year. Even then, though, earnings vary greatly. While some of the top players (we’re looking at you, Stephen Curry) earned over $45 million last year, others didn’t even reach the million-dollar mark.

All sports aren’t created equal though and basketball doesn’t even make the top five highest earning sports. Ice hockey, tennis and soccer stars round out the top three, with athletes in those sports able to build a huge amount of wealth from their appearance fees alone.

Still, there’s always ways for athletes to increase their earnings. UFC fighter Conor McGregor managed to be the top earning athlete in 2021, but a sizeable amount of his income was due the sale of his majority stake in Irish whiskey distiller Proper No. Twelve. However, opportunities for athletes go well beyond business deals.

As is the case with actors, musicians and other celebrities, the golden ticket to building an athlete’s net worth tends to lie in endorsements, sponsorships and selling their name (and often photos) wherever they can. Athletes have to be careful about what they do and say though… more than a few athletes have lost their product endorsements and been dropped by a brand over a scandal or unwise comment.

Buying Power

Gary Payton's net worth of 70 million can buy...

7865x
Nights in the Burj Al Arab Royal Suite
Priced at $8,900
2222x
Rolex GMT Master II
Priced at $31,499
532x
Tesla Model S
Priced at $131,440

Methodology

The Wealthiest Index is a ranking of the world's richest people. In calculating Andre Agassi’s net worth, we strive to provide the most transparent calculations available with detailed analysis of how that Andre Agassi’s fortune was made. Each net worth figure is updated at regular intervals to reflect market movements.

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