Usain Bolt Road to Riches

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (Net worth: US$ 6 million 2011), widely regarded as the fastest person ever.  He is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records. Along with his teammates, he also set the world record in the 4×100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, the first man ever to win 6 Olympic gold medals in sprinting, and a five-time World champion. He was the first to achieve a "double double" by winning 100 m and 200 m titles at consecutive Olympics (2008 and 2012), and topped this through the first "double triple" (including 4x100m relays).

He entered the 2008 Summer Olympics as somewhat of a curiosity, few people outside the track and field world knew much about the 6-foot-5 Jamaican. His only sponsors before Beijing were Puma, which signed Bolt to a small deal in 2003, and Digicel, a Jamaican mobile phone company.

As Bolt’s fame soared, his paycheck took off as well. Bolt earned an estimated $20.3 million over the last 12-months from prize money, bonuses, appearance fees and sponsors. He ranks No. 63 among the world’s highest-paid athletes. Bolt has a ways to go to challenge LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in terms of earnings, but his income is more than 20 times what other elite sprinters typically make in a year and more than any other athlete in the history of track and field.

Continue reading at Forbes.com....