His Nike deal had been the richest of any football player.

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Tennis player Maria Sharapova was the richest female athlete, with earnings boosted by lucrative endorsement deals.

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Muneo Suzuki is a backbench MP from the northern island of Hokkaido who was a prodigious fundraiser and a key player in the ruling party's richest and most powerful faction.

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Between 1995 and 1999, every World Series game was won by a team in the richest 25% of clubs (as measured by total player salaries).

ECONOMIST: A downright unAmerican national pastime