For most of their celebrity lives, actors and actresses become endorsers of a brand, one way or another. They were the prelude to our IG and YouTube influencers today. For the longest time, the old media had control of the audience and so hiring celebrities and paying them big bucks for an endorsement has become a hit. After all, who does not want to have such clear skin as Angelina Jolie? Who does not want to have the skills of LeBron James? Deep in our hearts, there is always that longing to become the stars we idolize, and marketers are making use of that to sell their products. Our beloved celebrities are then paid handsome amounts. It is not easy money as they have to sign numerous contracts, get their lawyers to scrutinize each line, and then do the shoot. Some agreements have very stringent limitations as well, including not having a boyfriend or a girlfriend for the duration of the endorsement deal. Some expressly ask that celebrities not get involved in any scandal; otherwise, the contract can be voided.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. We collected a list of the highly-paid celebrity endorsers, so look on!
George Clooney and Nespresso
Nestle’s Nespresso has chosen George Clooney to be its brand ambassador. Many commercials had already been released featuring various celebrities, but George has gotten the biggest pie. He reportedly earned $40 million from the drink company in 2017. Apart from being the company’s global brand ambassador, the producer was also tasked to become Nespresso’s face in the US and Canada. The challenge is to bring the company’s “a cup above” campaign to every North American household. Nespresso has even praised his nine-year contribution to the image of the company. He is said to be the embodiment of the brand. For a $40 million investment and a quality product, for sure, the brand would continue to be a big favorite in the US and Canada.
Charlize Theron and Dior
During the height of her career, Charlize snagged a lucrative 11-year contract with Dior. The actress was asked to promote the luxury brand’s J’adore perfume, its signature scent. According to the source, the deal was for $5 million a year, translating to a whopping $55 million. Not all was smooth-sailing for the actress, however. In 2003, attorneys for Raymond Weil, a maker of luxury watches, sued the South African beauty for wearing a Christian Dior watch in public. They said it violated her $20 million deal with the watchmaker as she was supposed to wear only Raymond Weil watches when in public. Well, we hope the case was settled as $20 million is a significant amount, and it would not be good if it goes to waste!
David Beckham and Adidas
Adidas found itself an excellent influencer and brand ambassador when it enlisted David Beckham. They believe so much in the footballer’s ability to promote the brand that they awarded him a lifetime contract of $160 million. David had already earned half of the deal, and he will continue to make percentages from the products he would be endorsing in the future. While Nike focused on basketball, Adidas chose to try football, and it appears that they are making huge profits, too. David’s charm and ability to bring in sales for the company were worth the multi-million investment put in by Adidas. The only star able to beat David on the Adidas deal was Derrick Rose, who was signed up for $260 million in a 14-year contract with the shoe company.
LeBron James & Nike
The biggest contract that was ever awarded to a sports celebrity is speculated to be that of Lebron James. Sources claim that his contract with Nike is at around $1 billion. The lifetime endorsement deal was signed in 2015. We do not know the exact details, but it does appear to be in the neighborhood of $1 billion, an amount that can set anyone for life, mortgage notwithstanding. LeBron might be retired, but his name is still a legend, and his endorsement might very well send people to the stores, buying Nike shoes. So it comes as no surprise that the basketball legend’s net worth is at $480 million at the moment. We definitely will see it rise more as the earnings from the endorsements come in.
Floyd Mayweather and Multiple Companies
True to his name, “The Money” has already accumulated a lot and is estimated to be worth more than $560 million. He is also ranked as the top paid athlete and is one of the three who has made $1 billion in total earnings. We hope that he made significant investments as he had been living a lavish lifestyle. He has various endorsements, but the main one is with Hublot, a Swiss luxury watchmaker company. It is also reported that Burger King and FanDeul paid $1 million to sponsor Floyd in his two fights in 2014. The former “Pretty Boy” is indeed a sought-after endorser given his fame. In his last visit to the Philippines, he was tapped to be a local cosmetic dermatology clinic’s endorser.
Tiger Woods and Nike
The golf legend has had many scandals over the past years. But despite that, Nike stood by him, and so he rewarded them with a Masters’ win. The Tiger-Nike relationship started in 1996, the year Tiger became a pro golfer. Nike has shown skills in selecting only the best names to endorse the brand. The shoe company willingly signed a check for $100 million worth of endorsement deals with Tiger Woods. The five-year agreement would see Tiger wear t-shirts, hats, and clubs made by Nike. For sure, we can see international sales for Nike go up, and their bottom line improves with this highly valuable contract. Also, we admire Nike’s loyalty, as they are as loyal as a financial advisor, who will stay with you through ups and downs.
50 Cent and Reebok
Usually, shoe companies would go after athletes for their endorsements as they wanted to portray a sport look. But with Reebok, they partnered with 50 Cent. He has made a lucrative career in the music industry, and no doubt, his influence is massive, considering his following. It was smart of him to accept the deal as it would give him $80 million more into his pockets, which he can use to pay new house mortgages, cars, or even an island. Reebok has asked the rapper to be the face of its new line of sneakers, the G Unit. In 2003, the shoe company even made a gamble with an advertisement for G Unit showing the rapper. It turned out to be a good bet, and the ad was rated as the highest-earning ad at that time.
Angeline Jolie and St. John
We know that the Mr. and Mrs. Smith actress is a fashion icon, and many try to mimic her clothing choices. Recognizing this, the clothing company, St. John, contacted Angelina and asked her to endorse the firm to its younger generations. This was in 2006, and the company was losing its older customers because of a failed bid to lure younger ones. They saw Angelina as an angelic investment that can turn the brand around and get a firmer grasp on its more traditional buyers. It appeared though that Angelina’s stars shined brighter than that of St. John, and the sales did not turn up as expected. Another backlash suffered was when they made masks that, according to some, were not as functional as other medical masks. Meanwhile, Kate Winslet last held the position as the face of the brand as of 2015.
Justin Timberlake and McDonald’s
The NSYNC band member has been the face of many brands over the years. Among the brands he has promoted are Givenchy and its line of Play fragrances. He also advertised Budweiser and Audi. His most lucrative deal, however, was with McDonald’s. Some might be surprised at this, but the voice you hear singing the jingle “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle is Justin. For those few syllables, the former lover of Cameron Diaz earned $6 million. Through these lyrics, the image of the McDonald’s brand made a huge turnaround. It was already a household name, but the catchy lyrics made the brand a degree easier to remember, even by kids. The endorsement deal made both McDonald’s happy as it did Justin, who saw his net worth increase to $230 million.
Brad Pitt and Chanel
Brad has a long list of commercials for various brands. Companies definitely think of his endorsing power much. So we see Brad signing agreements with Heineken, Cadillac, and Chanel. The actor was the first male spokesman for the women’s perfume company’s Chanel No. 5. This scent was the first perfume launched by Coco Chanel in 1921. The company believed that Brad’s appeal to women could help carry their iconic woman’s scent to higher levels and garner more sales for the company. Other actresses have also represented the brand like Nicole Kidman and Audrey Tatou, but having a man promote it is a considerable risk for the company. They hope it would be a good use of their investment money in the amount of $7 million.