How does Conor McGregor's net worth compare to Lewis Hamilton's?

Conor McGregor recently made headlines by becoming Forbes' highest-earning athlete between 1 May 2020 and 1 May 2021. McGregor's net profit is rapidly rising and has already increased exponentially since the start of the year. This is despite the Irishman having only fought twice since 2018.

But how does he stack up against one of the consistently highest-paid athletes in the world, such as Lewis Hamilton?

Conor McGregor vs Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton's net worth, on an average, is around $285 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth and Motorsport Week. This is significantly higher than Conor McGregor's current net worth, which currently stands at around $180 million, according to both The Independent and The Daily Record.

However, it should be noted that Conor McGregor's net worth was only $120 million at the start of 2021. It has already risen by $60 million in only a few short months. This is likely due to Conor McGregor selling his shares to Proper 12 Whisky, his whisky brand, which is a sponsor of the UFC.

Conor McGregor is the world's highest-paid athlete, according to Forbes 💰 pic.twitter.com/kKqZNZ7cQ4

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 12, 2021

Top of the Forbes list with only two fights

It is curious how Conor McGregor's rise to the summit of the Forbes' athlete list comes at a time when he has been relatively inactive. After losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October of 2018, McGregor did not fight in 2019.

McGregor did come back in 2020, facing off against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone at UFC 246. The Irishman was victorious at this event, picking up a first-round TKO victory. According to McGregor, he made $80 million just for defeating Cerrone.

The "Notorious One' was then inactive until 2021 when he featured in another headline slot at UFC 257. McGregor faced off against a former foe in Dustin Poirier. The two had previously fought in the featherweight division earlier in their careers.

The first fight had comfortably gone McGregor's way, as he TKO'd Poirier in the first round of the fight. However, Poirier had improved significantly since then and had been extremely active while McGregor spent a lot of time away from the sport.

While the first round between the two fighters was competitive, Poirier clearly pulled away in the second round, leading to the TKO stoppage, the first of McGregor's career. The bout has already been rebooked for a trilogy fight that is set to take place in July.