Remember when you were a little kid and your parents told you that your dreams of being a world class athlete were nice but you needed something "real" to fall back on? Feel free to send them a copy of Forbes new world's highest paid celebrity couples list from the email account at your boring old "stable" job. Three guys on the top five come straight out of the lucrative world of sports.
Any guesses who falls where? Remember, it's celebrity COUPLES? Here's a hint: Brangelina is at number two and Robert Pattison and Kristen Stewart take up the number five slot. They're the expected. Now go for the unexpected.
I'll admit I was a teensy bit blown away when I noticed the number one slot is taken up by New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen. I figured it's all her, right? She's the first EVER billionaire supermodel. She's got to be carrying her man, right?
Turns out the two-time Super Bowl MVP is doing almost as well as his billionaire better half. He's got the NFL's richest deal on an annual basis thanks to his four-year, $72 million contract extension. Together they're worth $76 million, but $31 million comes from his side.
I'm not sure why I was so surprised. We hear about overblown celebrity athlete contracts all the time (or maybe I do because I'm married to Mr. ESPN/Fox Soccer on 24/7?). But they don't seem to be anything compared to the crazy stories that come out of Hollywood. Look at the Kardashian wedding -- it sure wasn't NBA star Kris Humphries' money they were talking about.
So, OK, being banged around on the gridiron totally does not suck. But before you pull out the pads and the pigskin, there's plenty of love (and cash) to go around. Second place on the richest list goes to NJ Nets part owner Jay Z (his share of the team is a big factor) and wife Beyonce Knowles, and soccer player David Beckham and Posh Spice grabbed number four. And yes, some of the money comes from the ladies, but there's a nice chunk of change coming straight out of contracts, endorsement deals, etc.
Do you think about athletes in the same level as actors/actresses when it comes to earnings? Did any of these surprise you?
Image via CLF/Flickr