Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is the most revered cricketer in history and the wealthiest player the sport has ever produced. In a career spanning 24 years, he scored 100 international centuries -- a record that may never be broken -- and accumulated 34,357 runs across all international formats, the most by any player. In a nation of 1.4 billion people where cricket is effectively a religion, Tendulkar was the deity.

Tendulkar's endorsement income dwarfed his cricket salary. He was the face of Indian cricket during the sport's commercial explosion, and brands including Adidas, BMW, Coca-Cola, MRF Tyres, and Luminous Power paid premium rates for his image. At his peak, he earned an estimated $18 million per year from endorsements alone. He also co-owned the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise (later selling his stake) and invested in restaurants, hospitality, and healthcare ventures.

As a member of India's Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament), Tendulkar extended his influence beyond sport. His net worth of $170 million makes him the richest cricketer ever, but his cultural value to India is incalculable -- when he batted, a billion people stopped what they were doing to watch.