TOP-LEVEL athletes are usually among the highest earners in society – but some aren’t even the best paid in their household.
The lives of our most famous sporting stars is typically one of luxury and privilege.
There are plenty of examples from the sporting world where an athlete is eclipsed in wealth by their significant other.
SunSport takes a look at five leading ladies who are the breadwinners in their respective relationships...
Khloe Kardashian ($60m) and Tristan Thompson ($45m)
A member of reality TV royalty, Khloe is the middle child of the Kardashian brood.
Still regularly appearing on ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’, Khloe has topped up her bank balance with multiple business ventures and modeling work since shooting to fame over a decade ago.
Khloe has been in an on-off relationship with NBA player Tristan Thompson since 2016.
Currently a free agent, Thompson was a first-round pick in 2011 and won the NBA title with Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
The couple shares two children but Khloe recently revealed she is “learning to un-love”; Thompson.
Elisha Cuthbert ($20m) and Dion Phaneuf ($5m)
Film star Elisha Cuthbert wed former NHL star Phaneuf, 37, in July 2013.
The Canadian-born actress shot to fame in the early 2000s and has also modeled for Maxim, Complex, and FHM.
She is best known to American audiences for her role as Kim Bauer in the long-running Fox series ’24’.
Cuthbert met Phaneuf in 2008 and the pair currently live in Los Angeles with their two children.
The NHL defender played for Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings throughout his fourteen-year career.
A former recipient of the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, Phaneuf is estimated to be worth around $5m, a far cry from his wife’s $20m fortune.
Kate Upton ($260m) and Justin Verlander ($150m)
An ex-Sports Illustrated model, 30-year-old Kate was on the cover of their 2012, 2013, and 2017 issues of the iconic mag.
Away from the glitz and glamour of SI, Upton is married to Houston Astros pitcher and 2022 World Series winner Justin Verlander.
Kate carved out a career in Hollywood after her modeling days, while her grandfather was co-founder of the multinational home appliance company Whirlpool Corp.
TheRichest estimate Upton’s wealth is around $280m if combining her earned assets with her family fortune.
The power couple have baseball to thank for their chance meeting in February 2012, when Upton and Verlander were both filming a 2K video game commercial.
It took them nearly a year to go public, announcing their relationship to the world in early 2013.
The pair were married in a medieval church overlooking the Montalcino valley in Italy after Verlander’s first World Series in 2017.
Stephanie McMahon ($150m) and Triple H ($75m)
Wrestling pair Stephanie and Triple H have been WWE mainstays for over two decades.
Stephanie, 46, is the daughter of former majority stakeholder Vince McMahon and a former WWF women’s champion.
Originally intended as a scripted romance, her relationship with Triple H blossomed away from the ring in the early 2000s.
In an interview on The Howard Stern Show in 2002, McMahon said: “He was very flirtatious [and] would drop hints.
“It was a very touchy situation, he was coming on to me and I know that it’s forbidden in our business for me to date any of the wrestlers.”;
The pair tied the knot in October 2003 and welcomed first daughter Aurora Rose to the world three years later.
Stephanie’s net worth is estimated at $150m, with CelebrityNetWorth noting that she is richer than her husband thanks to her holdings in WWE’s common stock.
Gisele Bundchen ($400m) and Tom Brady ($250m)
America’s golden couple may be no more, but they still warrant a spot on this list.
Bundchen and Brady announced their divorce last month after thirteen years of marriage.
Brazilian-born Bundchen is one of the world’s most successful models and has appeared on more than 1,200 magazine covers.
In 2012, she earned the top spot on Forbes’ top-earning model list.
Along with her iconic modeling career, Bundchen also dabbled in acting from 2004 through 2017.
She shares two children with NFL legend Brady, who has won seven Super Bowl titles and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Despite Tom’s worldwide fame, his wealth is eclipsed by his former wife.
Bundchen’s net worth is estimated at $400m, with Brady’s personal fortune trailing $150m behind at $250m.
Before their split, the pair were building an epic $17m mansion in Miami’s Billionaire Bunker.
Despite their split, the GOAT should have no problem paying the bills due to a ten-year, $375m TV analyst deal with FOX.
Brady, 45, earns $15m-a-year playing as quarterback for Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has not ruled out coming back again for more next season.
