Celebrities can typically make huge amounts of money thanks to their day jobs on stage, screen or sports field.
But brands will happily fork out millions of dollars to influential stars in exchange for endorsement of their products to potential new customers.
From actors promoting perfumes to a sports label that has spent hundreds of millions on LeBron James, click or scroll through our gallery for a run-down of the biggest celebrity endorsement deals of all time. All dollar amounts in US dollars, unless otherwise stated.
Jennifer Aniston became the face of the Dubai-based Emirates airline in 2015, with the deal reportedly landing her $5 million. In today's money, that's approximately $6.3 million (£5.2m).
The Friends star appeared in several global print and television campaigns for the business, including a TV advert that showed Aniston having a nightmare about being on a non-Emirates plane that lacked shower facilities.
The tongue-in-cheek ad particularly irked US airline Delta, with one employee describing it as "hurtful".
Actor Brad Pitt is no stranger to million-dollar endorsement deals. In 2012, for example, he became the face of the iconic Chanel No. 5 fragrance, netting $7 million in the process. In 2022 dollars, that's over $9.1 million (£7.5m).
This was followed in 2013 by a $3 million ($3.9m/£2.3m in today's money) contract with Cadillac, which saw him star in print ads and TV commercials for the car brand in China.
Pitt has also popped up in a number of Super Bowl ads for various brands. He's rumoured to have received $4 million – $6.2 million (£5.1m) today – for his part in Heineken’s 2005 commercial, which only aired once during the sporting event.
Pop star Justin Timberlake, pocketed $6 million for delivering the I’m Lovin’ It jingle for McDonald's in 2003. In 2022 dollars? That's a cool $9.8 million (£8.1m).
JT was far from proud of the partnership though, admitting in 2007 to the British edition of GQ magazine that "I regret the McDonald’s deal", although he didn’t elaborate as to why he wasn't Lovin' It.
In 2003, Hollywood star Nicole Kidman received AU$12 million to film a series of commercials for Chanel No.5.
Factoring in inflation, that equates to around $11.4 million (£9.4m) in 2022.
She was clearly worth every penny. The late Karl Lagerfeld, who was the creative director of Chanel at the time, was quoted by Vogue as describing Kidman as "the best of the best".
In 2016, Disney starlet turned pop sensation Selena Gomez signed a $10 million ($12.5m/£10.4m today) contract to become the face of luxury fashion brand Coach.
At the time, the influential Gomez was the most followed person on Instagram, boasting over 100 million fans on the social platform. Coach hoped to cash in on her popularity to attract a younger audience to the brand.
The collaboration also saw Gomez design her own line for the fashion house.
In 2013, actor turned venture capitalist extraordinaire Ashton Kutcher became an ambassador for China-based computer manufacturer Lenovo.
The contract was reportedly worth $10 million ($12.9m/£10.7m today) and saw Kutcher star in TV and print adverts for the company in a bid to boost US sales.
Lenovo isn’t the only money-spinning endorsement Kutcher has benefited from. The That '70s Show star has also worked with camera company Nikon for a number of years, reportedly earning millions in the process.
Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones was integral to the US launch of T-Mobile in 2002, appearing in numerous TV, print, and radio adverts for the telecommunications brand.
The star’s initial three-year contract as global spokeswoman for the company was extended to five years, and sources in the know suggested that Zeta-Jones made between $7 million and $8 million. Adjusted for 2022 inflation, that's an astonishing $11.7 million to $13.4 million (£9.7m-£11.1m).
Zeta-Jones was also the face of cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden for several years.
Rapper Snoop Dogg has injected his musical genius into many of his most successful endorsement campaigns. In 2012, for example, he parodied his hit single Drop It Like It's Hot as Pocket Like It’s Hot in an advert for frozen food brand Hot Pockets.
Then there was his incredibly catchy rap for delivery service Just Eat, as well as an equivalent version for Just Eat's Australian arm, Menulog. Snoop has also appeared in adverts for MTV, Burger King, and Dunkin’ Donuts.
In 2020, the Californian rapper was paid £10 million ($13.8m/£11.4m today) to endorse Corona beer. The ongoing collaboration has recently seen Snoop star in an advert with comedian Andy Samberg, with the unlikely duo sipping the beverage on a beach together.
In 1983, Michael Jackson brought a whole new meaning to his "King of Pop" nickname when he sealed a $5 million partnership with PepsiCo, with the incredible figure shattering the previous record for a celebrity endorsement deal. In today's money, Jackson's fee was approximately $15.1 million (£12.5m).
Having released hit single Thriller the year before, Jackson was in high demand and had already rejected a $1 million (£828.5k) endorsement offer from Coca-Cola.
In 2012, Pepsi brokered a posthumous deal with Jackson’s estate to feature the star’s famous silhouette on its soft drink cans. The late singer also featured heavily in the company’s "Pepsi Generations" campaign in 2018.
After starring in the hugely successful Twilight saga, Robert Pattinson bagged a $12 million deal to become the new face of Dior in 2012. That's $15.7 million (£13m) when adjusted for inflation.
The contract was set to expire after three years but the Batman star is still fronting the luxury brand’s male fragrance campaigns to this day.
Justin Bieber was a teenage heartthrob in the late 2000s and 2010s, and nail varnish brand OPI was quick to spot that his popularity could help them win over younger customers. In 2010, the One Less Lonely Girl nail polish collection hit shelves across the USA, just in time for the Christmas holidays.
The then 16-year-old Bieber reportedly made an astonishing $12 million ($16.4m/£13.6m today) from the perhaps unlikely collaboration.
Within five years, Bieber had moved on from nail varnish to underwear. He's fronted several Calvin Klein campaigns, including one with wife Hailey that was part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration in 2019.
Britney Spears fronted the "Joy of Pepsi" campaign for two years, before it was announced she would be replaced by Beyoncé in 2002.
In that time, the pop star featured in a handful of commercials and pocketed a rumoured $10 million in the process. In 2022 dollars, that's around $16.7 million (£13.8m).
At the peak of her career, Spears endorsed a wide range of products, from Skechers sneakers to Polaroid cameras.
She was also the 100th celebrity to don a milky moustache in the "Got Milk?" ad campaign, which still runs to this day in a bid to encourage Americans to drink more of the white stuff.
Rapper Travis Scott has scored many lucrative endorsement deals, including partnerships with PlayStation, Epic Games, and General Mills. However, it was his work with McDonald’s that really took America by storm.
In 2020, the fast-food giant teamed up with the star to create the Travis Scott Meal, which consisted of a Quarter Pounder with bacon, fries with barbecue sauce, and a medium Sprite. It was such a hit that burger shortages were reported at some US locations.
Scott didn’t do too badly from the deal, reportedly earning $5 million from the initial partnership and a further $15 million in sales of co-branded merchandise, which included clothing and accessories. That's a grand total of $20 million, or $23 million (£19m) in today's money.
In 2013, music mogul Jay-Z inked a $20 million deal between Samsung and his company Roc Nation. That's around $25.7 million (£21.2m) in today's dollars.
The rapper and producer appeared in several commercials discussing the inspiration behind his album Magna Carta Holy Grail. Samsung also gave away one million pre-release copies of the album to Galaxy phone owners who downloaded the promotional app.
Taylor Swift has featured in Diet Coke ads since 2014, with the collaboration rumoured to have made her an astonishing $26 million (£21.5m).
The brand’s "Stay Extraordinary" campaign shows Swift penning lyrics to a new song while sipping on a Diet Coke, in what The Coca-Cola Company describes as "a peak behind the curtain at an extraordinary day in the life of a true American superstar".
The Shake It Off singer has also put her name to the "Got milk?" campaign, as well as starring in adverts by Keds footwear and Apple Music.
DJ Tiësto inked a $30 million contract back in 2014 to promote soft drink 7UP. In today’s money, that’s a hefty $38 million (£31.4m) payday.
The so-called "Godfather of EDM" headlined a festival-style release party in Las Vegas for the soda brand.
The following year, 7UP also released limited edition cans that had been designed by Tiësto, as well as by his fellow DJ Martin Garrix.
If anyone can give coffee a dash of the debonair, it’s George Clooney. Since 2006, the much-loved actor has been an ambassador for coffee company Nespresso, featuring in a series of print and TV ads that have been shown around the world.
Sources suggest that Clooney has banked at least $40 million (£33.1m) from his long-standing partnership with the brand.
In 2013, the star revealed that most of the money from his Nespresso commercials went towards "keeping a satellite over the border of North and South Sudan to keep an eye on Omar al-Bashir", the country's then-president.
The revelation came after Clooney was arrested in Washington in 2012 for protesting Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
The partnership between actor Charlize Theron and luxury fashion house Dior has lasted longer than most, with the Oscar-winning star fronting the brand's campaigns for almost two decades.
The deal was originally penned to last three years, netting Theron a rumoured $3 million (£2.5m) annually.
However, the contract was extended and it's now estimated that the screen starlet has pocketed more than $55 million (£45.6m) from her collaboration with the brand.
The relationship between Beyoncé and Pepsi is a long-standing one. Queen Bey first became a global spokesperson for the brand back in 2002, when she was still the lead singer of girlband Destiny’s Child.
Fast-forward a decade and the singer secured an incredible $50 million deal to team up with the brand once again ahead of her iconic halftime performance at the 2013 Super Bowl, which was sponsored by the soft drink brand.
In today's money, that's a spectacular $64.3 million (£53.2m).
Julia Roberts is one of Hollywood’s most recognisable actresses, and in 2010 she scored one of the biggest endorsement deals of all time courtesy of French cosmetics company Lancôme.
Becoming the face of the brand in January 2010, Roberts had proven so popular by the end of the year that the beauty empire bumped her contract up to a five-year deal, worth a rumoured $50 million (£33.5m). Adjusted for inflation, that's around $68.4 million (£56.5m).
NBA legend Dwayne Wade has racked up a number of partnerships with shoe companies over the years, including with Jordan and Converse. After parting ways with those companies, 2012 saw Wade strike a deal with Chinese company Li-Ning.
The shoe brand was founded and named after the gymnastics champion who won six medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, with the athletic Ning nicknamed by the press as the "Prince of Gymnastics".
Wade’s 10-year contract had a reported value of $60 million (plus equity in the business), or around $78.4 million (£64.9m) today. And in 2018, the partnership reached whole new levels when Wade signed a lifetime contract with the brand.
Even though financial details were not revealed, the deal is believed to be worth many millions of dollars.
At just 16 years old, Olympic superstar Usain Bolt first signed a deal with sportswear brand Puma in 2003. This was followed in 2010 by another multi-year contract with the sportswear brand, which was described as "by far the largest ever given to a track and field athlete". According to reports, it was worth around $9 million ($12m/£10.2m today) a year.
When that deal ended in 2013, Puma offered Bolt another contract that would see him earn $10 million ($12.7m/£10.9m today) every year that he competed, as well as an annual sum of $4 million ($5m/£4.2m today) to act as a brand ambassador once he retired.
Bolt retired in 2017 and it's estimated that he's made at least $83 million (£68.6m) from the partnership so far.
The most successful female tennis player of all time naturally comes with a price tag to match. In 2003 Nike reportedly spent $55 million on a sponsorship deal with Serena Williams, which, when adjusted for inflation, is an incredible $89.7 million (£74.2m).
The deal was set to last for five years, with the option to add a further three years at the end. It also included royalties and performance bonuses if Williams won any Grand Slam tournaments.
It’s safe to say that Nike got plenty of on-court endorsement for its money: Williams won a remarkable 23 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, with 19 of the victories happening after she partnered with the activewear brand.
Williams announced her retirement from tennis in August 2022. Nike aside, she's also endorsed the likes of dating app Bumble, Beats headphones by Dr. Dre, Berlei lingerie, Tempur-Pedic mattresses, and AccorHotels.
In 2010, Maria Sharapova netted the most valuable brand endorsement ever given to a female athlete in the form of a $70 million deal with Nike. That's around $95.7 million (£79.2m) today.
The eight-year contract was temporarily suspended in 2016 when Sharapova failed a drug test. Other brands were quick to follow suit, with sponsors such as Porsche postponing campaigns woth her until the attention surrounding the scandal simmered down.
While Nike also resumed its endorsement deal with the tennis star, watchmaker TAG Heuer abandoned collaboration plans altogether.
Sharapova retired from tennis in February 2020.
Yet another superstar sports player snapped up by Nike was Tiger Woods, who first teamed up with the brand for a $40 million five-year deal when he went professional in 1996.
The golfer broke records in 2000 when he agreed to a $100 million contract to continue as a brand ambassador for the next six years. In today's money, that's a staggering $175.2 million (£144.9m). The contract was extended for a further eight years in 2006, and was last renewed for an undisclosed sum in 2013.
Nike stood by Woods during his 2009 sex scandal, as well as during an injury period. Other sponsors – such as Gillette and Gatorade – were less forgiving and dropped him.
David Beckham is one of the most recognisable faces in football. Recognising his star power, Adidas was quick to snap him up for their ad campaigns in 2003, which was also the year he moved to Spanish club Real Madrid.
The lifetime contract with Adidas is rumoured to have been worth an astonishing $160.8 million, or around $262.2 million (£216.7m) in 2022 dollars. And it's just one of many sponsorship deals the footballer has profited from over the years...
Off-pitch, Beckham is seen as something of a style icon and has worked on collaborations with H&M, Armani, and Calvin Klein. He's also partnered with the likes of British supermarket Sainsbury’s and tech giant Samsung.
In 2003, LeBron James signed his first deal with Nike: a seven-year contract that would earn him $90 million. Once that came to an end, the deal was renewed for an undisclosed sum.
James was a clear money-maker for the brand, which sold $340 million (£281m) of his signature shoes between February 2014 and January 2015 alone, according to Forbes. So, it's not surprising that 2016 saw the Los Angeles Lakers player became the company’s first-ever lifetime contract signee.
James's business partner Maverick Carter told GQ that the deal was worth more than $1 billion (£826.7m), depending on product performance.
As if that wasn’t enough cash to keep him going, James has further bolstered his salary and endorsement earnings with savvy investments, including in the pizza franchise Blaze Pizza.
But LeBron James wasn't the only sports star that signed a lifetime deal with Nike in 2016. In November 2016, the sportswear brand also secured the endorsement of football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, which is reportedly worth around $1 billion (£826.7m).
Much like James, Ronaldo's relationship with Nike began in 2003 when he started playing for Manchester United. The Portuguese sporting icon then moved to Real Madrid in 2009.
At the time of the big deal, Ronaldo had worn 60 different sets of Nike cleats over a 13-year period.
Discover the celebrities making a fortune from their business interests.