Michael Jordan Heads The Highest-Paid Athletes Of All-Time With $1.7 Billion Posted Dec 7, 2016 Arnold Palmer and IMG founder Mark McCormack’s marketing work in the 1960s and 1970s laid the foundation for the greatest product pitchman of his time, Michael Jordan. Jordan took sports marketing to another level and with the help of Nike made Jordan the highest-paid athlete of all-time, with earnings of $1.7 billion since leaving UNC for the NBA in 1984. (Forbes)