24-Year-Old Soccer Player Offered Deal Worth More Than LeBron James’ Career Earnings Of $531M

As comedian Chris Rock pointed out some years ago, there is a difference between being rich and being wealthy. His example was a professional basketball player who is rich, while the owner of the team, who pays that player, is wealthy. A contract offer to a French soccer player would make him wealthy.

According to Front Office Sports, 24-year-old Kylian Mbappé has been offered a contract that surpasses the lifetime earnings of Los Angeles Lakers savior LeBron James.

Saudi Arabian soccer team Al-Hilal was offered a record-setting $332 million transfer fee to be paid to Mbappe’s current team. The actual contract for the player would be a salary of $776 million for one year.

James has brought home $531 million throughout his two-decade NBA career.

Saudi Arabia is trying to pay Kylian Mbappé $776 million to play for Al-Hilal for one season.

For comparison:
$531M: LeBron James’ all-time NBA earnings
$494M: Patrick Mahomes’ deal through 2031
$450M: The value of the Arizona Coyotes
$367M: The New York Mets’ entire payroll… pic.twitter.com/FA93DaSMWo

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 24, 2023

Even after hearing about that contract offer, James commented on Twitter, ready to head to Saudi Arabia. He posted a clip of Tom Hanks’ “Forrest Gump” character running extremely fast down a road.

Me headed to Saudi when they call @RichPaul4 & @mavcarter for that 1 year deal! ✌🏾🤷🏾‍♂️😁 pic.twitter.com/IX0VSMZYNb

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 25, 2023

At only 24, Mbappe already makes more per year than James does, according to Forbes’ latest World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2023. He beat “King James” by a mere half a million as he made $120 million this past year compared to James taking home $119.5 million. He also has the highest-paying salary in soccer and came in at No. 3 on the list. He was the top-earning Black athlete at that time.