Italian sports stars apparrently don’t get much bigger than Valentino Rossi.
After his move to Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati for the 2011 MotoGP season, it turns out Rossi is also the most highly paid Italian sports star around.
It’s quite an unusual honour for a motorcycle racer, with this kind of ranking usually reserved for Italian football players.
What’s more, the list of international sports star salaries by country from ESPN includes just this one entry from the world of motorcycle racing.
Rossi’s national and international appeal is hard to beat, and the new deal with Ducati and the marketing clout it brings will probably see him earn more in the future, whatever his fortunes on the track might be.
Rossi took home 14.
3 million euros last year (20.
8 million USD) and although his 2011 season so far isn’t turning out to be the dream Ducati start many fans hoped for, he will continue to be Italy’s favourite sports star through the sheer strength of his personality; and is probably partly paid for that charisma, too.