LeBron James is the first active NBA player to achieve the Billionaire milestone which he famously called his “Biggest Milestone”. Despite being a billionaire, he lacks behind the defending FIFA World Champion Lionel Messi in the social media game. However, Messi’s estimated net worth at the moment is nowhere near that of James at $620 Million. The popular social media platform Instagram has become a major income avenue for popular celebrities around the globe. As the brands utilize celebrities’ popularity to market their products by paying them hefty sums per post, King James earns substantially less compared to Messi in that division.

Lionel Messi is the second most followed person on Instagram with 402 Million followers, just behind his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 520 Million followers. Meanwhile, LeBron James stands in 27th place with 139 Million followers.

LeBron James vs Lionel Messi in the social media rat race

In a recent study by Hopper, listed data of the amounts charged by popular celebrities for their Instagram posts was released. Lionel Messi charges $1,777,000 for every social media post while the Akron Hammer charges $657,000. Celebrities usually charge their price based on their follower counts. Topping the list of Instagram followers, Cristiano Ronaldo charges a staggering $2,397,000.

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NBA is a high-paying sporting event, there’s no doubt about it. Stars get paid for the skills and marketability they bring to the table. According to Spotrac, King James has earned $387 Million dollars in salaries in his entire career. Besides the NBA, the Lakers icon has multiple high-paying brand endorsements and has also made lucrative real estate investments. He is currently the only billionaire in the NBA next to Michael Jordan.

However, in the list of the top 10 highest-paid athletes by Forbes, The Rosario-born football legend tops the list with $130 Million. LeBron James follows him with $121.2 Million.

Cometh the hour, cometh the hero

In the historic FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, Messi led Argentina from the front to win their third World Cup.  Despite the Argentine wizard’s two goals, the game went down to a penalty shootout. Kylian Mbappe scored a historic World Cup finals hat-trick. But Messi had the last laugh after a 4-2 victory in penalties. In addition, the 35-year-old further confirmed that he would continue to play for Argentina. He said, “I want to continue playing as a Champion” after the finals.

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LeBron James achieved the billionaire feat before his retirement. Do you think Messi can replicate King James’ milestone? Let us know in the comment section!