The seven-time Formula 1 world champion is one of only 35 athletes worldwide to earn at least USD $50 million (AUD $76 million) in 2022.
According to Forbes, Hamilton made USD $55 million (~$83.6 million AUD) in salary from Mercedes last year. Including his $10 million USD (AUD 152 million) earned from endorsing brands such as IWC-Schaffhausen, Tommy Hilfiger, INEOS, Puma, Police, Mercedes-Benz, Bose, and Monster Energy, the Stevenage, England native was ranked 21st in Forbes‘ Highest Paid Athletes for 2023.
Interestingly, current world champion Max Verstappen ranked one spot lower than Hamilton with $64 million USD ($97.3 million AUD) in total earnings for 2022. Verstappen’s $60 million USD (~ $91.3 million AUD) salary from Ferrari was the highest by any driver during the 2022 F1 World Championship.
When it comes to career earnings, Hamilton was paid an estimated USD 82.6 million (AUD 125.6 million during his first seven years on the F1 grid with McLaren. In his 10 seasons with Mercedes, he has made $421 million USD ($640.1 million AUD).
Overall, Hamilton’s more than $500 million USD (~$760 million AUD) in career earnings ranks only second behind the legendary Michael Schumacher who made an estimated $1 billion USD (~$1.52 billion AUD) over the course of his F1 career.
Last August, Hamilton ended speculation about his future when he signed a two-year contract extension to remain with Mercedes. Although the amount of the contract wasn’t officially revealed, Fox News AU reported that it’s worth USD 125.6 million (AUD 191 million).
Most celebrity net worth websites peg Hamilton’s current net worth at USD 285 million (AUD 433.7 million) which is a far cry from Schumacher’s estimated USD 600 million ( AUD 912. 9 million. But still, Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One bounty is impressive.